The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish

by Lil Miss Hot Mess, Olga de Dios (Illustrator)

Playing off "The Wheels on the Bus," this nursery rhyme book from a founder of Drag Queen Story Hour is a fun, freewheeling celebration of being your most fabulous self.The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish encourages readers to boldly be exactly who they are. Written by a founding member of the nationally recognized Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH), this playful picture book offers a quirky twist on a classic nursery rhyme by illustrating all of the ways to "work it". The story plays off "The Wheels on the Bus" as it follows a drag queen who performs her routine in front of an awestruck audience. A fun frenzy of fierceness, this book will appeal to readers of all ages.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Childrens, Queer, Storytime, Fiction, Music

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2020

Reviews

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 1 out of 5]

There really was nothing I liked about this book. The artwork is definitely not my taste, but even setting aside the style it was so repetitive and boring, basically the same image over and over again.

The wheels on the bus is already pretty annoying, but this is somehow worse because it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

"The cheeks on the drag queen go blush blush blush....the mouth on the drag queen go blah, blah, blah." This was a slough to get through.

I have seen reviews about how this is an "important" book, but I really don't understand why. It certainly doesn't inform, if I were a child I would walk away understanding Drag Queens to be really over dressed ugly women.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the book, but it is the illustrations that really bring it to life.

[dianne b. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drag queen story hour on Instagram, read by Lil Miss Hot Mess herself, with a cinéma vérité intro that is lovely:
Drag queens love to dress in sparkly clothes and lead parades and volunteer in their community...
Can i count this as my first audiobook?
I, for one, picked up a few makeup tips; a non-silicone cure for the Thin Norwegian Lips, and the important early lesson that the higher the hair, the closer to God.

Fierce.

[Marilyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an inappropriate book for any age, but especially inappropriate for children. But then, some parents actually take their children to Drag Queen Story Hours. Bad as that is, I have little doubt that the poor children of parents like that have far worse stories to tell. :-(

[Ms. Judy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drag queens aren't meant to entertain children. This book is so inappropriate.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a huge fan of the "The mouth on the drag queen goes blah blah blah" section as that seems to imply that anything a drag queen says is meaningless or not to be taken seriously/that drag queens can't meaningfully contribute to a conversation. But other than that, this was good. Very colorful, would definitely hold a child's attention and be a great introduction to the diverse world of drag and gender expression.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a picture book about drag queens for children, what's not to love about this?!

[HelloLasse · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to say?
So funny!

[Stephani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, and I do love the concept. It is so important for children's books to reflect the diversity of the real world, and having a picture book centered around drag queens is wonderful. However, the rhymes and cadence of the book don't flow very well and feel rushed. The illustrations are fantastic. Overall, a nice book, but it could have been better.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided I wanted to read books that are banned and/or books groups are trying to get banned. This is one that a group in Douglas County Colorado tried to get banned in the public library. Really!?! The public library! The book is cute and colorful. If parents don’t want their child to see this, please don’t check it out of the library.

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fun and colorful art? Check.
Good story? Hell no.
Damn this was insanely repetitive, boring, and accomplished nothing. The only way I ever see this being appealing to kids is if you got them up on their feet and mimicking the words of the book.

[Jeanine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus", but a hard book to engage a child audience. Even for an adult, it was not as much fun or inspiring as a silly picture book about drag queens should be. :(

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book. I couldn't help but smile when I saw it performed by Mina Mercury. This does not introduce children to sex or adult topics. I would imagine if there is a child that has a Drag Queen in his or her life that this book is highly appreciated. Easy and fun.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of color, sparkle, and fun, this picture book is a play on "the wheels on the bus" and follows the drag queens as they swish, stomp, and shimmy all through the town!

[Amanda Tolentino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes me so happy! My kids loved doing the actions with the queens, too.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lil Miss Hot Mess, the first of the famed Drag Queen Storytime, has taken a spin on "The Wheels on the Bus", for a perfect, vibrantly colorful and action-centered picture book.

You'll want to get up and parade around yourself with a host of fabulous Queens!

[Abigail (Abbe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally awesome book. The wheels on the bus will never sound the same. Thank you Lil Miss Hot Mess!

[Che · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmmm. Which child in my life deserves this gem? All of them!

[Danielle Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really fun to read! The illustrations are so beautiful and colorful! One of my favorite things about this book is that it featured the Painted Ladies in San Francisco

[Jeanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My six year old loves this book!

[Catherine]

Picture this: raunchy drag queen renditions of classic nursery rhymes at a drag brunch. I would love it just like I loved this book. Starts out cute and simple and then throws slight shade towards the end. I think drag queens would approve.

[Rick Hribko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving these books by Lil' Hot Mess. Fabulous illustrations and a fun call and response to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus." So fun.

[Nathan Bartos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun reworking of "Wheels on the Bus" with drag queens.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm so happy there is a book about drag queens. I think having these wonderful people reading books to our children is perfect. I would love to see this in my town. The book is cute and shows how some people look dressed up in fancy clothes. But there isn't much else to this book. It's like "this is how some people walk around" and that's it. I think this is best for little ones who like to hear the "wheels on the bus" tune and to be read by an actual drag queen, but not much more than that. I hope there are other books that will teach kids more about drag queens.

[Melissa Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading this book to my twins! It is one of their favorites and they will pull it off the bookshelf themselves! The rhymes are fun and catchy. The repetition is also really great for toddlers and kids...especially while trying to learn new words! Illustrations are beautiful and we like pointing to all the pretty details.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the art, but from a writing perspective, it's not very good. No shade intended. Books on this topic need to be in libraries, so you should buy this until there's more to choose from. Heather Has Two Mommies was groundbreaking, and also not very well written.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

So exuberant and celebratory! It begs to be acted out/sung.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello friends, and happy Pride month! Today, we’re reviewing the fantastically fabulous The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish, written by Lil Miss Hot Mess and illustrated by Olga de Dios!

In the world of drag, the hips go swish, the shoes go stomp, the shoulders go shimmy, and the fingers go snap. Introducing little bookworms to the magic, glamour, and fun of drag, this catchy reworking of “Wheels on the Bus” introduces some of the staple elements and moves of drag performers (hair also goes “up”, cheeks go “blush”) to young readers. Meanwhile, a kaleidoscope of fabulous and fierce queens twirl and kick their way through a neighborhood – context clues and Easter eggs make is easily recognizable as the Castro district of San Francisco – bringing energy, color, and joy in their wake.

Love it, love it, LOVE IT. In the grand tradition of drag storytimes, this gloriously LGBTQ+ picture book is a celebration of the art of drag that makes it accessible and entertaining for readers of any age. The lyrics are ridiculously fun to sing-along to, and even more so to dance to; drag persona Lil Miss Hot Mess cleverly chooses actions that are synonymous with drag performance yet easy for kids to imitate (stomps, twirls, snaps, etc.), and JJ and I were both up and dancing by the end of the book. The queens themselves (introduced by their pun-tastic personas on the front- and end-pages) are beautifully diverse in skintone, body type, and gender expression. The length is perfect for a storytime, and JJ adored it, going back for several more rereads. This is a gem of representation and celebration that any drag fan (or future fan) will love, no matter the age. Baby bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Elizabeth]

This book is basically what you would expect from the title (to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus," but with drag queen things) and the cover image (over-the-top illustrations).

Because kids are likely already familiar with "The Wheels on the Bus," this riff on that song can be an easy way to introduce them to something new and ~normalize drag for them.

These drag queens are bright, and fierce, and come in a variety of embodiments. I appreciate that they're not all white, thin, cis-passing, etc.

The book has 10 "verses," which may be too many.

Some verses, like the titular one, are easy for young readers to play along with. Others, like, "the jewels on the drag queen go bling, bling, bling," and, "the cheeks on the drag queen go blush, blush, blush," will require some more creativity. I don't love, "the mouth on the drag queen goes blah, blah, blah," but I can imagine kids having fun with it.

I enjoy that as the drag queens traipse through San Francisco, they seem to be bringing bright color to the outsides of muted buildings as they pass by.