Together We Are Strong
Gifted children are often bullied, especially with words of derision such as “dweeb,” “geek,” “nerd,” “oddball,” and “flake.” They are even referred to as “Einstein,” but the great genius’ name is used pejoratively in such labeling. The pain of social rejection is so great that highly gifted, talented, and creative children may hide their asynchronous development.
These children may be able to imagine the hurtfulness when their entire families are discounted with epithets of hatred and ridicule such as “queer” and “abnormal.” All children want their own lives and their families to be accepted and validated.
‘Twas the Night Before PRIDE is an easy reading celebration of families from the all-inclusive LGBTQ+ population around the world. LGBTQ+ stands for persons (and families) who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered, and queer and/or questioning. Within this broad span of identifiers the term “queer” is used by homosexuals as a badge of honor. The same is true of self-described queer families.
Joanna McClintick’s simple rhymed verse narration is patterned after Clement Clark Moore’s 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” also known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” It is an appropriate connection. A queer family of two mothers and two young children are joyfully and happily preparing for one of the most joyous days of their family’s year, New York City’s gigantic PRIDE Parade held annually on the last Sunday in June.
While the two moms pack lunches and begin to prepare their two young children for an early bedtime, the older daughter finishes a poster (a large red heart) she has made to carry in tomorrow’s celebratory parade. It is bedtime, but she wants her young brother, Sammy, to hear the history of the PRIDE Parade. Rather than a typical bedtime story she wants the newest member of her proud family to listen to a brief but important history lesson. The brief history recounts the 1969 Stonewall riots, the very first Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day in June of 1970. Later, AIDS awareness parades and positive and peaceful demonstrations of LGBTQ+ citizens in front of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D. C. on behalf of human rights are noted.
The Stonewall Riot receives the greatest emphasis. Early in the morning of Saturday, June 28, 1969, gay men first clashed with New York City police who raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar at 43 Christopher Street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. For the first time ever, members of the LGBTQ+ community fought back against harassment. The “riot” with police lasted for several nights as sympathetic marchers joined in the protest. It was the night gay rights was born.
From humble beginnings, PRIDE Day in New York City has become a world-wide celebration. Symbolic rainbow flags are everywhere in what has become one of the largest and longest parades celebrated anywhere in the world. One especially colorful spread highlights the exceptional diversity of LGBTQ+ persons of every age, race, color, ethnicity, dressed in flamboyant costumes and walking, aided by wheelchairs, or driving decorated motorcycles. The thousands of parade marchers are cheered on by hundreds of thousands of supporters who hang rainbow flags from their balconies and cheer on the parade participants. Marchers carry self-made signs that affirm and honor their lives and their families. Everything points to PRIDE.
Most of all, the text and illustrations promote tolerance, cheer on diversity, and queer families and the valuable importance of everyone to have the right to be proud. The authenticity of ‘Twas the Night Before PRIDE is unquestionable. Brief biographical notes inform readers that both the author and illustrator each live in same-sex marriages. Joanna McClintick is a licensed social worker in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center in Manhattan. Juana Medina, a professor of art at George Mason University, and her wife are the parents of twin sons.
Juana Medina’s cartoon-style illustrations are rendered in bursts of neon colors. The total effect resembles Pop art. Diversity is paramount. The young narrator’s family proudly represents diversity. “Mama” is white and “Mom” is a woman of color. The young narrator appears to be a girl while the newest member of the family is a boy. Both are children of color. New York City’s June PRIDE Parade features people of all walks of life. They represent a real-life rainbow of people who share one special quality. They are PROUD.
The end papers portrays the great variety of the LGBTQ+ illustrated in a more muted rainbow motif. PRIDE marchers are young and old. They represent all races and colors. Some are disabled. At least one is an astronaut. These caricatures represent performers, musicians, political leaders, athletes, human rights advocates, and loving families. Some may even resemble famous members of the LGBTQ+ community. Can readers identify a famous tennis star?
Home and School Activities
Parades. Parades are primarily colorful celebrations of people, places, and historical moments in time. Some parades are peaceful demonstrations. Additional parades promote important causes such as the battle against breast cancer. A Town & Tourist website identifies “12 Epic Parades in the U.S.A.” The featured dozen parades include celebrations and parades such as St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago, Macy’s on Thanksgiving Day, the Chinese New Year, July 4th or Independence Day, the New Year’s Day Rose Festival, and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The fourth-ranked epic American parade is New York City’s PRIDE Parade. Encourage gifted readers to research a famous parade in the U.S.A. or elsewhere in the world. Ask youths to write a summary about a chosen parade including the reporter’s five Ws: who, what, where, when, and why. Once the verbal description is complete, researchers can use any art media to create a design for an original float that might appear in the parade they have described.
The most prominent icon of PRIDE parades is the rainbow flag. Readers can use print and online resources to discover the origins and history of LGBTQ+ rainbow flags. How have rainbow flags as symbols of the queer community and their supporters evolved? The length of these flags continue to be extended and many have claimed to be the longest flags in the world. Currently, where is the longest rainbow flag in the world? In Juana Medina’s buoyant illustrations, the rainbow symbol is used to decorate clothing, umbrellas, and even cover a rooftop water tower. Encourage creative readers to imagine a unique display of rainbows. How might they dress any object with a rainbow?
‘Twas the Night Before PRIDE focuses on excitement of the night before with PRIDE parade. The young narrator is very excited about her family’s preparations for participation in the coming day’s parade and other celebrations. Encourage readers to fast forward and write a poetic note and draw an illustration that the narrator might create to showcase her feeling on the “Night After Pride,” the end of the special day she loves so very much.
The central theme is about family and community acceptance, love, and above all, PRIDE. Invite students to use online or library sources to search for the names and lives of famous LGBTQ+ persons. These researchers can pretend that media personnel interview such a person. They can design special costumes their subjects might wear in the PRIDE parade. They can further extend this activity to write five questions a reporter might direct to their famous person and complete the activity by providing authentic replies to the media probes.
Internet sites provide a wealth of information about famous persons who are either openly gay now or whose sexual orientation became known after their deaths. Can students locate profiles of a presidential cabinet member, a state governor, an astronaut, plus artists, authors, Olympic athletes, musicians, actors, TV program entertainers, or business entrepreneurs who are positive role models of the LGBTQ+ community? Ask these same youths to imagine being the editor of a new book about such notable people. Ask them to write and illustrate a short profile of one of the famous persons they have researched.
Not all families will welcome the innocent charm and joy of ‘Twas the Night Before PRIDE for varied reasons. Gifted readers may want to engage in at least one of the two following activities. Firstly, they may want to read book reviews, media editorials, and commentaries to discover models of persuasive writing. Students can then write an opinion essay based upon facts and expert opinions as to why they do not endorse this picture book. A second approach is an examination of censorship. See especially You Can’t Say That (Candlewick, 2021). Editor Leonard S. Marcus invites a dozen popular writers of young adult literature such as Katherine Paterson and R. L. Stine to write essays about the dangers of censorship. Invite youth to write an essay about the importance of having literature available to readers of all beliefs. Why are books about the LGBTQ+ community important in library collections for all readers?
