RuPaul

I am a drag race mega fan and a huge fan of Ru, so I was very excited to see this book. The illustrations are fun & the dresses are gorgeous. She looks like Queen. I love the gender fluidity in pronouns depending on what Ru’s wearing. I like that it took the time to express that he was as comfortable with his husband in slippers as in heels. This was a lovely celebration of Ru and a short, whistle-stop tour version of a long and iconic life! Also, it’s great that books like this exist, when I was young I didn’t know drag queens existed & now these brilliant books are coming out and showing kids a new way to embrace themselves. I also enjoy that it publicises The Hips On The Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Lil Miss Hot Mess at the back.

As a big of Ru Paul, I had to read this with my daughters. This a fantastic addition to the book series. Great illustrations, clear message and not too complicated for younger listeners.

Loved this!!
I have many of the 'Little People, Big Dreams' books, and this is by far my favourite. With the other books in this series (that I have read) they just seem super vague and try to cover too much. Whereas this book feels like it focuses on just the main message of 'love yourself!'
The illustrations felt very psychedelic and 'groovy baby' - this style just felt so right for this book.

The message came through thick and strong, and felt that focussing on this rather than the full life of the person in the title was far better.
Loved this!

A wonderful addition to this series, I love RuPaul and what an inspiration for little people to live their lives and be themselves, great illustrations, well written and fun to read, showing kids big and small who real legends are

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I’ve heard many great things from friends, colleagues and their children about the little people: BIG DREAMS books. So, to receive one to review was fab, and even better, I know who RuPaul is, so I have the familiarity with the main topic of the book.

Glancing through the pages, I began by looking at the illustrations. I found them fun, clear and simple, which is what I expected for the age of the audience this book is aimed at, and some beautiful illustrated dresses.

Next I read through the story on the pages. I enjoyed it. It moved quite quickly through the years and how RuPaul went from being home with his sisters and mother, to school (and being kicked out), and then onto his later years where he found success. The story was a easy read, simplified for children to understand and I love that it still manages to portray RuPaul as the fabulous queen she really is and it’s use of gender fluidity in its pronouns depending on how Ru is dressed on the page.

RuPaul has shown us that we should live our lives the way we want and to be ourselves! And I especially love how the book ends with “don’t ever think we are born to just fit in a box, we are born to stand out!” A fab message to share and inspire the little readers of today!

If this story is anything to go by, then I know I will enjoy other books from this series. What a lovely read and a great way to share the extraordinary lives of the icons of the world past and present.

I received an advanced copy of this title to read and review.

I am a huge fan of RuPaul and never miss an episode of Drag Race, so when I spotted this little book on NetGalley, I requested it immediately.

I think the book works on several levels: the illustrations are colourful and relate to the text alongside. The more detailed information and photographs at the end of the book are interesting for the older child.

Most important is the message that RuPaul shares: that you should follow your path and love who you are. Not easy in many ways, but his story illustrates what can happen when you do this.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The exceptional Little People, BIG DREAMS series prides itself on providing child-friendly biographies of renowned public figures and celebrities and in this, the sixty-first book in the series, we explore the life and times of prominent drag queen and ardent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, RuPaul. This potted biography runs from his birth in California in 1960, his early years in which struggled with reconciling his love of dress-up and his gender, and the beginning of his love affair with drag, which allowed him to express himself as an artist. It’s written in such an empowering fashion that gives children the message that they can achieve their dreams whatever they may be and shows that even when you're perceived as different you can be successful by just being yourself.

What's impressive is there is just enough here to enable a child to become curious yet not enough to overwhelm, and the colourful, fun illustrations complement the text perfectly. It's an educational and entertaining read that empowers young ones to pursue their dreams without limits and inspires children to dream bigger and realise their fullest potential, by introducing them to extraordinary people throughout history. It's a wonderfully engaging and simple to understand book that also helps kids with literacy and fosters an enjoyment of reading. You simply cannot go wrong with this series in general as everything is executed perfectly and tailored beautifully to youngsters. Highly recommended.

Yet another fantastic book in the Little People, Big Dreams collection.
The thing I love most about these books, is that although they are aimed at children, guaranteed I always learn something new about the person the book is about which I probably would never have come across if it wasn't for this book.
Absolutely love this book about Rupaul, and learning about his earlier years, and the message here is spot on - that's it okay to be different but to just continue being you.

I've said it before and I will say it again we love the little people big dreams books in our house

And this was another awesome book

It was really interesting to find out more about RuPaul especially the early years and I love that it gave me the opportunity to then talk to my daughter about inclusion once we had finished reading!

Such a beautiful little book. Great for children to show them that it’s ok to be different. Stunning, colourful and bright illustrations by Wednesday Holmes bring this book to life. I’ve just found out there’s more of these books. Great books to introduce children to some of the people who have shaped our history.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group for this advanced copy.

By this point you know you’re assured of a quality title, but this is a gentle, fabulous tale presenting lovely elements of Ru’s life and making it a positive life affirming little book.

Really well done, great quality art.

I absolutely adore the Little People, Big Dreams series and this book, focusing on RuPaul did not disappoint. Filled with glorious illustrations, these texts are a fabulous springboard for classroom discussion. I love how they cover such a broad range of famous faces, from scientists to musicians.

The fierce and vibrant story of RuPaul jumps from the pages of this Little People, Big Dreams book and demands to be read. The bright and playful illustrations within the book perfectly encapsulate RuPaul as a person and what he stands for. A short summary of his life story accompanies the illustrations, with the text firmly promoting the idea that we should love ourselves for who we are. It’s a beautiful story of acceptance, of finding your tribe and of celebrating who you are.

I will be using this book as part of my Person of the Week work in a Year 5 classroom and think it would be a welcome addition to any school bookshelf. The message of acceptance is one that should be shared with all children (and adults). Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

So cute, as a teacher I really love this series of books. The illustrations were so cute also and as a RuPaul fan, it was interesting to learn a bit more about his upbringing. This book has a good message for children, do what you love.

A dynamic and diverse addition to this well loved and received series. As always the illustrations are beautiful and vibrant, to match Ru's personality. This is a perfect book to teach young readers the importance of being yourself and how you can succeed.

LOVED this little pocket-rocket of a book! With simple but psychedelic illustrations, this epitomises Ru Paul and his message of love for all. Easy to understand for even the youngest reader, yet with so many levels of discussion including LGBTQ+ rights, changing pronouns and Ru's ongoing support of the wider community through music and TV shows.

I loved this addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series. It gives lots of detail on Ru’s life, is pitched perfectly for younger readers and contains my favourite illustrations so far for a book in this series!

I found the story of Ru Paul fascinating and my daughter loved it. The graphic, arty, comic style of the artwork was a real eye catching way to entice you in to picking up the book.
Fabulously intriguing and interesting.
This book tells a story and one that is full of interesting factual information that doesn't feel like you're learning.
This whole series is amazing and is a great way to get your children learning some of the basics about key people in history and fame.
The book itself is well designed, bright and colurful with just the right mix of words and pictures so meets a varied audience.

I have to say that this book was fabulous!

I enjoyed it and I thought that it was another great addition to this brilliant series.

A great book for kids and one of my favourite series for little ones – we need more books like this! I love how the book has showed his challenged, how he has made his life the one he wants to love and how much of a champion he is for LGBTQ+ rights too – someone children can look up to, and be inspired for – I love his mottos – a very empowering book with lots to talk about!

It is 5 stars from me for this one, another great addition to the series, fabulous images and easy to follow – very highly recommended!

Another book in the Little People, Big Dreams series, this book tells the story of how RuPaul embraced who he really was and became who he wanted to be.

This is a rather brief history of RuPaul's life but would provide a good starting point for children to realise that they can be whoever they want to be.

This book has amazing, bright, colourful graphics which I loved. It was very interesting to find out about RuPaul and how he shone from within after finding his way in life and finding and expressing himself and his unique being. He had the confidence to be exactly who he is and this I admire.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a great way to celebrate differences, written in clear, easy child-friendly language. As a huge RuPaul fan I learned a few new things about his life too, which was lovely! The illustrations could sometimes be a little hard to follow however, particularly for children.

WoW! Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara books must be one of the best little books to purchase for children, these are the best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

So, this latest book is about RuPaul by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and is just brilliant.

"Even before little Ru was born, a fortune teller told his mom that he would one day be famous... It was only a matter of time before he figured out how. Playing dress-up was his favorite game, and that's where he felt most comfortable. Ru went on to study performing arts and then moved to New York to mix things up in a punk band. Later, drag was a way to express himself as an artist. He found success for himself, then wanted to help others find theirs. He inspires us to do what feels right and love ourselves."

This brilliant book is witty and a wise book which features stylish and quirky bright and colourful illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the inspiring performer's life."

It's one book, you should definitely buy for your little readers so they can learn about this wonderful artist.

I am so glad these books are being published and I highly recommend all of these books

Many thanks to Quarto’s Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful addition to the "Little People, Big Dreams" series featuring iconic drag performer RuPaul Charles. This is such a lovely, colourful book that tells Ru's life story, from his humble beginnings in Chicago to world renowned drag superstar. While my own interest in RuPaul has dwindled in recent years, there's no denying how influential and how trailblazing he has been in giving members of the LGBTQ+ community a platform. This story is all about following your dreams and being true to yourself. The accompanying illustrations by non binary artist Wednesday Holmes compliment the story beautifully.

I love this series and how they give information about important people. I wish they gave a bit more detail or information, but it is a good way to start learning or having a discussion. It certainly made me want to learn more about RuPaul. There is a short biography at the end with more information, but I don't think young readers would necessarily read that part.