"The rollicking story of Billy's two mums, who save the day on a school trip to the seaside, thus convincing Billy to stop longing to have a normal family... A rainbow-hued riot of sea shanties and pirate banter."

– The Guardian

"At its heart this is simply a pirate caper featuring two heroic female leads; but with its healthy sprinkling of rainbows and heartfelt message around love and acceptance, it will also be a valuable addition to any LGBTQ reading list for little ones."

– Scottish BookTrust

"A clever, heartfelt story with plenty of swagger that shows how kids can treasure their diverse families"

– Sarah Prager, award-winning author of Kind Like Marsha and many others

"Absolutely swashbuckling, climb aboard!"

– Jessica Love, author of Julian is a Mermaid

"Jaunty, colorful illustrations include plenty of pirate themed details, and the rainbows that emerge from the ship’s cannons serve as both a celebratory contrast to the dark storm and an unspoken nod to his moms’ pride at sharing their authentic selves. This romp of a story wraps a common fear—that one’s family might seem weird to others—in humor and love, cheerfully celebrating our differences without being preachy."

– Booklist

"The vibrant illustrations, rendered in a rainbow-hued palette, keep the tone light, even in the face of peril. Perfect for pirate-themed story times or classroom read-alouds, this is a fun, affirming adventure that celebrates family in all of its forms. This lighthearted, sea-sprayed adventure is full of over-the-top humor and pirate lingo."

– School Library Journal

“Lancet-Grant cleverly avoids giving us yet another story about a kid who feels different because of having same-sex parents—we have tales aplenty like that. Instead, the parents’ queerness is not even mentioned and is probably the least interesting thing about them. At the same time, there’s a message here about finding strength in difference that kids with queer parents (or any kind of “different” family) should particularly appreciate.”

– Mombian

"We just published a picture book called Pirate Moms, which is about a little boy who feels a little bit ostracized because his moms are pirates. I, as someone who is pregnant and is about to have a queer family of my own, was just so tickled by this concept. I was also so tired of seeing the typical queer picture book of like, “I feel different because of the queerness in my family.” I thought it was just a really smart and hilarious way of confronting that." —Editor Hannah Moushabeck, from Publishing Pride 2026: Hannah Moushabeck, Interlink Publishing

– Sam Spratford