Wig, a swirly pink headpiece, belongs to drag queen B.B. Bedazzle, “the most fabulous queen by far” (who in non-drag persona is a young child who reads as a White boy). When B.B. performs, Wig grows and feels tall. Compared to the wigs of some other queens, though, Wig is not very big. When B.B. goes to the “Big Wig Ball,” Wig feels small and “wigs out,” flying off B.B.’s head in a panic.
Wig lands on the head of another boy. Transformed by the feeling of wearing Wig, the boy stands taller and prouder. His confidence inspires Wig in turn, who then bounces from head to head in the crowd, and “brushes the world bolder, brighter hues,” helping people to realize their dreams.
The people in turn “help Wig fly,” both metaphorically above her fear and literally, tossing her up so that she can see B.B. on the ground below. When Wig flies back into place, B.B. feels bigger again—and Wig knows Wig is “big enough to win the prize” at the drag contest.
This is a fun read, with bouncy rhymes, swirling colors, and lettering that towers and twirls. No one blinks at any of the presumed male characters who wear Wig. Notably, too, B.B.’s mom and dad go along to the drag contest and are clearly supportive of B.B.
The story has a few small bumps. When Wig looks down from above, she reflects that B.B. needs her “most of all,” since “Without her Wig, B.B. is bald.” That’s not literally true, though, as the child who is B. B. has a perfectly nice head of light brown hair. The line may thus confuse some young readers. And the final page, which tells us that Wig is “big enough no matter her size” falls a little flat because Wig actually appears fairly large in that final image. If she’d been smaller, the commendable message would have packed more punch.
Overall, though, the book offers a light message about feeling confident even when small (and how drag can help), making it a delightful and welcome addition to the growing number of picture books about drag.
