At bedtime, Jacob chooses “the penguin book” (clearly a reference to And Tango Makes Three), adding that he wanted to read a copy at school but couldn’t find it in the library. The next day, he asks his teacher if they can have it at story time. His teacher explains that she can’t read it to them because, “Some people are unhappy with the books we have in our library and classrooms … While the school is trying to figure that out, some of the books have been taken away. The penguin book is one of them.” Jacob and his classmates want to know more but his teacher explains that’s all she can say. The kids briefly speculate at lunch about what could be wrong, a discussion that inspires them to play a recess game in which they pretend to be nesting penguins. This purposeful story excels at staying child-centered while addressing book censorship impacting younger school-age children, who try to make sense of a vague (to them) situation in a totally childlike way–one that has them moving on to playing penguin. The story also shows (rather than tells) the awkward position such situations put educators in, as well as the impact on a child in a family with two dads who is briefly upset by what’s happening before being comforted by both the teacher and Jacob.

Jacob—the star of one of the most banned books of the decade—is back in Jacob's Missing Book, a kid-friendly story about book banning, censorship, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Noah is confused about Emily's family, so he asks her―who’s Pop and who’s Dad? Jacob knows just how to explain, but how can he? The penguin book isn't in the library anymore! As the day goes on, everyone is still talking about the mysterious missing book. Ms. Reeves tries to explain why the book is no longer in the library and what all the fuss is about. In the meantime, Jacob hatches a plan to tell the story about Emily's family.

This book cleverly weaves two critical societal issues into one story ― book banning in schools and LGBTQ+ rights. And, who is caught in the middle of all this? Kids who are eager to see themselves and their families in books, feel safe with their experiences, and understand that they are loved and supported.