This Little Golden Book does what the classic series does well, offering a kid-friendly but substantive look at its subjects. Neither Judy Garland nor Liza Minnelli was openly queer, although some believe that Garland was bisexual. This biography doesn’t speculate on the latter, but the publisher’s promotional information notes that both are considered queer icons and the title will be publishing in time for Pride Month promotions. I’m therefore going to review it, since people may be considering it as an LGBTQ-inclusive title, although I typically only review books where the subjects’ or characters’ queerness or LGBTQ allyship is clearly mentioned.
The book starts with Garland, taking us from her childhood through her vault to superstardom in The Wizard of Oz and her marriage to Vincente Minnelli. We then see Liza Minnelli’s turn in the spotlight from the time she was three years old, and her varied work that earned her EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) honors. “There may never be a more talented mother-and-daughter pair than Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli,” the book concludes.
There’s one more queer-adjacent moment in the book that warrants a mention here. When discussing The Wizard of Oz, the book says, “Many people relate to Dorothy because of her bravery and her dreams for a better tomorrow. She’s so beloved that some special fans refer to themselves as Friends of Dorothy.” Astute readers (or their adults) will know that a “friend of Dorothy” was a term used by gay men to refer to each other in the mid-20th century. Is the book’s mention a coy euphemism or an appropriate minimal reference in a book whose focus is elsewhere and doesn’t have the space to get into a long explanation?
Since author Phil Stamper is a gay man himself, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt; he could have left out the reference entirely. (Alternatively, though, the text could have said something brief like, “She’s so beloved that gay men used to refer to themselves as Friends of Dorothy as a way to recognize each other,” but that perhaps begs more questions than it answers.) Chances are, too, that it will be Garland-and-Minnelli-loving adults who buy this biography of the older stars for the young people in their lives, and that a good percentage of them will be queer dads who can add further explanation if needed.
Kyle Lukoff’s delightful picture book Are You a Friend of Dorothy? is the perfect complement to help anyone who wants to learn or explain more.
(Note that although Garland’s possible bisexuality is not mentioned in the book, I am tagging it as having a bisexual character to help people find it and evaluate the book’s treatment.)
