Marley's Pride - Paperback

by Joëlle Retener (Author), Deann Wiley (Illustrator)

A 2025 American Library Association Stonewall Children's Honor Book!

ALA Rainbow Book List - Top 10 Titles for Younger Readers, 2025

★ "A Black nonbinary child finds ways to navigate their sensory sensitivities during Pride . . . Joyfully affirming" - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Marley is a little nonbinary kid with BIG anxieties. Crowds? Pass. Loud noises? No, thanks! But when their Zaza is up for an award at the Pride parade, they want to go to support their beloved grandparent. Can Marley overcome their fears and even find a new sense of belonging?

• Features endmatter about the history of Pride and a glossary of terms to help adults answer kids' questions about the LGBTQ+ community.
• Shows coping mechanisms for social anxiety and sensory sensitivities.

Back Jacket

It's Pride! Marley longs to celebrate,
but big crowds and loud noises make them anxious.
Can they find a way to join the parade?

Author Biography

Joëlle Retener (they/them) is a Kreyol American children's author from the Washington, DC, metro area. A proud Spelman College graduate, Joëlle is passionate about sharing stories that celebrate Black pride and Queer joy. When they are not writing, you can find them gardening or tending to their small homestead. Joëlle lives in a cabin in the woods with their partner and three tiny humans.

DeAnn Wiley (she/her) is a self-taught illustrator with a Master's degree in counseling psychology, born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She advocates for social justice from the intersection of multiple identities -- Black, Woman, Queer, and disabled -- and she stands in solidarity with communities of which she is not a member. When she is not painting, she's learning, growing, and healing, with each phase of her journey depicted in her art. DeAnn is the illustrator of Sarah Rising, the Sunday Adventures series, and her author-illustrator debut, Homegrown