First LGBT Jewish children's book published
02/11/2013 19:00
'The Purim Superhero' is story of young boy whose dilemma over which Purim costume to pick is solved with help of his 2 dads.
Cover art for The Purim Superhero Photo: Courtesy
Kar-Ben Publishing of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has just released the first
gay-themed Jewish children’s book. The book, which has a Purim holiday theme, is
being published in conjunction with Keshet, an advocacy organization which
describes itself as working for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender Jews in Jewish life.
The Purim Superhero is the story of a
young boy whose dilemma over which Purim costume to choose is solved with the
help of his two dads.
According to Keshet, the book is the winner of the
organization’s national book-writing contest. “We’re so proud to have played
such a key role in the publication of this book,” the organization announced on
its website, calling The Purim Superhero “the first LGBTinclusive Jewish
children’s book in English.”
Author and illustrator Elisabeth Kushner is
currently on a book tour throughout the US.
“I realized that my old idea
for a Purim story was a perfect fit for this project,” Kushner said in an
interview posted on Kar-Ben’s website.
“Purim is very much about ‘coming
out’ as yourself – Esther is a great example of someone who comes out of the
closet for a good cause – and I thought that would be a good setting for a book
about a kid with gay parents.”