Larry is a proper, rule-following llama. Larry has a secret, though: he loves to dance! “But llamas aren’t SUPPOSED to dance,” we learn, as Larry stops the music and pretends to sleep when someone comes by. Larry feels sad because “Being different was lonely.” Should he stop dancing?
Llama Glamarama, by Simon James Green and illustrated by Garry Parsons (Orchard Books/Scholastic), has no overt LGBTQ identities, but the analogy is clear. In the midst of Larry’s despair, he sees a sign for “The Llama Glamarama,” a carnival with music, apples—and dancing! He leaves for the carnival and joins the crowd, symbolically drawn in rainbow colors. He even meets “Disco Queen, Llama Summer.”
After the carnival, he goes back to the barn and finally gets the courage to tell the other animals that he loves to dance. The other animals then reveal various things that make them different, too. One even tells them that “He was an alpaca,” and the text drily and parenthetically notes, “Everyone acted surprised, but they had suspected this for a while.” Larry starts to dance, the others join in, and Larry asserts, “I’m proud to be … me!”
Anthropomorphic animal protagonists and queer analogies can have their limitations (human LGBTQ characters often offer truer representation), but this is such a fun and humorous tale that it’s impossible not to like it. Whether readers are young LGBTQ children learning to take pride in themselves, or LGBTQ parents explaining to their children what it meant to come out and find community, the book will likely have many fans (even though you may wish to supplement it with books that have human characters). And while I think the queer analogy is blindingly obvious, it’s possible the book might even be allowed in schools and libraries where there are objections to more clearly LGBTQ content. While we should always work to remove such censorship, sometimes folks need workarounds in the interim. (I said the same about last year’s It’s Okay to Be a Unicorn, which has a similar animal analogy.) The pacing and zip of the text also feel perfect for read-alouds at schools and libraries.
I should note, though, that analogies such as those in Llama Glamarama and It’s Okay to Be a Unicorn, which emphasize glam, sparkles, and artistic creativity, will likely resonate most with queer boys and nonbinary folks assigned male at birth, who may be breaking away from male gender stereotypes. Adults should be aware these books don’t necessarily represent the experiences of the whole LGBTQ community—or even of all queer boys and AMAB nonbinary folks. That’s fine—any given book doesn’t need to be all things to all people, and these books of rainbows and glitter will certainly delight many queer folks. I just want to remind adults planning read-alouds for Pride Month or other times that it’s rare (if not impossible) for any one book to capture the entire LGBTQ experience. Make sure to read widely, even if you include the fun Llama Glamarama on your list!