The inimitable RuPaul is now the subject of several children’s biographies, aimed at the littlest tots through tweens. Sashay over and check them out!
For the youngest children, RuPaul Charles, illustrated by Vincent Chen, offers a short biography in board book form. This is a simple but spirited take on RuPaul’s life, though not as simple as the board book format might imply. And while the book helpfully explains that drag is “when a person dresses as a gender that is different than their own,” children may then be confused by the next page, which states, “As RuPaul would say, ‘You’re born naked and the rest is drag,'” which on the face of it would imply that everyone is dressing as a gender not their own. There’s little space in this book to go into more nuance, however.
The book also notes that RuPaul is gay, and “A gay person loves someone who is the same gender as themselves.” It then uses the LGBTQ acronym without explanation, though a definition is offered in a glossary at the end. The book then happily explains how drag queens have been advocates for equal rights and how RuPaul broke boundaries and offered visibility for other drag queens, while spreading a message of self-love and acceptance. The emphasis is more on his impact and less on the details of his life, which feels appropriate for the age. Despite a few rough spots, this is a good introductory bio of the superstar.
Part of the People of Pride series from the partnership between Little Bee Books and GLAAD, which also offers biographies of Harvey Milk and Ellen DeGeneres.
For picture book readers, hot off the presses this month is RuPaul, by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Wednesday Holmes (Frances Lincoln Ltd). This bright volume takes us with RuPaul from his childhood through his rise to fame. We see his supportive family and learn how his mother taught him “his most important lesson: do what feels right to you … and love yourself for who you are.” Although Ru sometimes “felt like a bit of an outsider” because of the “rules about how boys and girls should look,” he eventually found his “true groove” as a drag queen and love with his husband Georges. His show inspired “thousands of lonely kids who felt that they had finally found their people.”
A few points could perhaps have used more clarification. The term “drag queen” is used without really being described; readers will have to infer what it means from the page that says Ru and a friend wore a wig and heels to parties and “were the most fabulous drag queens” in the area. (Chances are, though, that readers who pick up this book (or their parents) will already know what a “drag queen” is.) Similarly, we read that he played in a “punk band” but not what that is. We also learn that Ru was kicked out of high school, but not why, leaving readers to speculate.
Those are small points, though. Ru’s enthusiasm for performing and dedication to being himself comes through clearly, as does his importance as a role model for many.
Part of the Little People, Big Dreams series that also includes biographies of Elton John and Megan Rapinoe.
Those ready for something a little more substantial than the picture-book biographies, but still at a reasonably easy reading level, should check out the new Who Is RuPaul?, by Nico Medina and illustrated by Andrew Thomson (Penguin Workshop). I’d categorize it as an early middle grade title. It offers a look at RuPaul’s life starting with his groundbreaking Emmy—the first ever won by a drag queen—and then flashing back to his childhood, where he knew early on that he wanted to be an entertainer. Despite family difficulties and getting kicked out of high school for truancy, he forged his own path. The book also offers explanations of terms like “drag queen,” explaining what this is and how it is different from being transgender or nonbinary (and thoughtfully noting that some, but not all, drag queens are also transgender or nonbinary).
Part of the Who Was? series that also includes biographies of Elton John, Sally Ride, and Harvey Milk.