illustrated by Z.B. Asterplume
publisher: Levine/Querido (2026)
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Every month Ms. Madeleine creates a special cookie of the month for her bakery. And Cookie, her best customer, is never disappointed. When June arrives, Cookie and her two moms taste the best cookie yet: a heart-shaped rainbow striped frosted, crunchy creation made especially for Pride. Yum!
But some people are upset about the Rainbow Cookies. They write harsh notes. They cancel orders. Ms. Madeleine is afraid her Rainbow Cookie might be her last. Can Cookie save the day? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
Includes a recipe for “Love Is Love Rainbow Cookies.”
Why I wrote this book:
This book was inspired by several true stories. A bakery in Texas that baked Rainbow Cookies for Pride did receive nasty notes along with order cancellations. So did a bakery in Boston that baked Rainbow Bagels. In both cases, community support turned something negative into something positive. I hope Rainbow Cookies will inspire young readers to stand up for what is right.
Excerpt
Yippee! It’s the first day of June! And on the first day of every month, the Cookie Cubby bakes a brand new cookie! And I, Cookie, the world’s greatest cookie lover, can’t wait to see what it is!
On the way over, I skip between Mommy and Mama, and sing:
Cookies, cookies, warm and gooey,
Cookies, cookies, nice and chewy!
…“Happy Pride.” Ms. Madeleine hands me a giant, heart-shaped Rainbow Cookie. The frosting is smooth. The biscuit is crunchy.
“It’s the yummiest cookie yet,” I tell her.
“We’ll take three to go,” says Mama.
“Thank you for baking Rainbow Cookies,” says Mommy.
“Love is love,” says Ms. Madeleine…