RuPaul

Little People, BIG DREAMS

by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of RuPaul, the shape-shifter, performer, supermodel and host of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Even before little Ru was born, a fortune teller told his mum that he would one day be famous... It was only a matter of time before he figured out how. Playing dress-up was his favourite 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 witty and wise book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back , including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the inspiring performer's life.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Biography, LGBT, Childrens, Juvenile, Biography Memoir

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, born in Barcelona, Spain, is a writer and creative director perhaps best known as the author of much of the Little People, Big Dreams series. Each book tells the childhood story of one of the world's female icons in an entertaining, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers, allowing them to identify with the characters in each story.


You may find books from the "Little People BIG DREAMS" series on author page - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4★
“When little Ru was about to be born, a fortune-teller told his mom that her son would one day be famous. Growing up in San Diego, with his mother and three sisters, it was only a matter of time before he figured out how…”

Cover picture of RuPaul as he saw himself

Ru was never someone who was going to blend in with the crowd, especially at school. It was one of his sisters who taught him that anyone can create magic if they try.

“his sister Renetta laid out a blanket in the backyard, took out some cookies from a paper bag and asked him to enjoy the most fabulous picnic.”

So what if they were only cookies? Ru got the idea. He loved playing dress-ups and making his own magic, and although he never fit in, his mother taught him to be true to himself. He quit school and went to study performing arts in Atlanta.

“Playing with his first punk band, he mixed a prom dress with army boots on stage. Everyone wondered if he was a boy or a girl.”

What he was, was RuPaul, but nobody knew that yet. He continued his colourful ways, moved to New York, wore wigs and high heels, and was having a lot of fun.

“On and offstage, Ru had found his true groove! She felt as comfortable in high heels… … as he did wearing his favorite pair of slippers.
It was time to share his joy and meet someone special: his husband Georges.”

[Note the subtle change from she to his, as he moves from one persona to the other.]

He walked the catwalk as a model in dresses and big wigs and released a famous song. He even performed with his idol, Diana Ross.

Ru and Diana Ross

He went on to found his famous show to find the next drag superstar, and people everywhere are inspired now to show us who they are, to love themselves, and to love life.

“By sharing with the world the beauty of drag, little Ru gave us valuable tips to make the most out of life: ‘Don’t ever think we are born just to fit in a box, we are born to stand out.’”

This is a great little series of books about people who are beautifully shaped pegs who don’t happen to fit into the usual holes we have boringly bored in society. They often have a hard time in childhood, when kids are trying so very hard to fit in, but they are the people who bring us the colour and joy when they blossom.

As always, there are some real photos and a short biography at the end, along with suggestions for other reference material if you want to follow up.

This is a very bright, cartoonish offering, and I found it a little hard to know which stylised character was Ru on some pages, but the overall impression is certainly that the wilder the colours and patterns, the better!

Thanks again to NetGalley and Quarto’s Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the preview copy from which I’ve shared a few illustrations to encourage readers to try this series!

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is so damn uplifting!

I would have never known about this personality had it not for this adapted illustrated series.

Such empowerment and the "nailed it" vibes couldn't have been told in a better way.

We have the right to become who we want to be. It's never too late. It's so encouraging to have a family who supports you and love you for who you are.

Drag queens. Cross dressing. Why should we even discriminate someone based on these things?

Some days we are discriminated for just breathing. So leave them and become the best version of yourself like this amazing personality!

Love the illustrations. I love the #pride vibes!

Thank you, authors and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When you become the image of your own imagination, it's the most powerful thing you could ever do.”

I really loved this one. RuPaul is such a sweet and loving human being who is always ready to uplift you when you need it. This book just shows you the type of person Ru really is and that is who we should all aspire to be.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

This series is always a joy to read, it’s a really nice introduction to well known people for little children. Of course the plot is always a little bit fast but that’s to be expected and it’s totally understandable.
This little book here is all about RuPaul, who is such a well-known person for everything he does with his show RuPaul's drag race. RuPaul is truly himself and doesn't hold back and I believe this is something we should all strive for. The message is clear and the last words of this story perfectly express it: Don't ever think we are born just to fit in a box, we are born to stand out.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the only things my 3 kids have in common is their love for RuPaul's Drag Race. It unites them as they discuss the outfits, the relationships between the queens and the unjustness of some of the dismissals on the show. This Little People, Big Dreams book is really cute. I adored the pictures and it is satisfying to read. Just the right amount of information for a little fan of the show and a great way of introducing children to the diversity in society. It's super cute and is a great format. Just right.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Rupaul is one of the latest additions to the amazing Little People Big Dreams series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara.
I live Rupaul and have always been in awe of him! This book is a great addition to this series and teaches children to dare to be different, stand up and be who they want to be, embrace who they are and not be ashamed of this either.
These books are truly inspirational and diverse child friendly biographies for children, full of lovely illustrations and bright engaging colours.

[Rebecca Crunden]

‘Do what feels right to you … and love yourself for who you are.’

I really liked the concept of this! Showing young kids that it's okay to follow their heart towards whatever future they want is lovely. I've never watched RuPaul's show, but I thought this would be a cute little introduction to it!

It was definitely a sweet little story with fun artwork, but I would have preferred a bit more of an explanation given between the time jumps, as each page seemed like a ten year jump in time for RuPaul, which is grand if you know him from his show, but I felt a little lost and would've preferred a bit more detail.

Overall very cute book, I just would have preferred a few extra pages between the time jumps!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

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[Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first approach to the Little People Big Dreams books, and while the illustrations were nice I think the story was overly simplified. However, the message it conveys, do what feels right to you and love yourself for who you are, is a really important one for (not only) kids. The essence of the story gets perfectly summarized in the last sentence “Don’t ever think we are born just to fix in a box, we are born to stand out.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Hallie Sieloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoutout to my Aunt Morgan for the book. I love watching Drag Race and loved reading about RuPaul’s charisma, uniqueness, nerve & talent.

[Frida · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an eARC copy from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have previously read a few books by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and, when I saw the new addition to the cutest Little People, BIG DREAMS series, I felt compelled to pick this one as my next read.

This one focuses on RuPaul , an American drag queen, actor, model, singer, songwriter, and television personality - an overall glam entertainer. The author follows RuPaul through his childhood, his struggles of growing up and the difficulties in reaching the heights of fame.

However, while the book does inspire and convey an important message, it felt too simplified. This series, in general, talks about many extraordinary people who have done remarkable things in their lives. The books in the series are simplified, giving the basics of the basics, as these are picture books and mainly for children, but this one seemed just plain, more than other books in the series.

I loved the illustrations, loved the quirkiness (100% positive one!) of them, the lines, the colours, and the overall positiveness and expressiveness of each page. They emanate such a positive message, not only to children but to us all, inspiring us to achieve our goals in the (near or far) future.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

RuPaul is just the best. This is a person that can be themselves. At a young age, RuPaul liked to dress up, be dramatic, and be glamorous. As an adult, RuPaul moves to NYC, starts dressing up in bold clothing and looking like a stylish woman. I always think of Fun when I think of RuPaul.

This is the type of book that could really impact a child who may feel very out of place and different. It is a reminder that there is room in life for all different types of people. RuPaul is just not afraid of living life as wanted.

So, this is another terrific book in the Little People, Big Dreams Series. I loved the book and recommend this series for schools and libraries. Children need to see all types of people in life achieving their goals.

So, thank you NetGalley, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, and Frances Lincoln Books for a copy of this terrific book.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so cute

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally, I have nothing but praise for Little People Big Dream books. I love how the author writes about so many famous people, living or dead, who have done extraordinary things with their lives. And true all of them are simplified, as these are picture books, but this one seemed more simplified than most.

Ru Paul is kicked out of school, starts a band, and then hits it big as a Drag Queen, and then the rest of the book is about how successful he is, and how he has helped others, and that is it.

We know there were struggles, but they get glossed over, and his fame seems immediate, which Im sure it wasn't.

Still, I give it chops for writing so gently about dressing in drag, and how normal the books makes it seem, which is right.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Eule Luftschloss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enter RuPaul, drag queen extraordinaire!
To be honest, I didn't know much about this person beforehand, having heard about the Drag Race but never watched it.

I think the author managed it nicely to explain the concept of drag queens and when to use which pronoun. The illustrations in this one are restricted to a small area of the page instead of all being colour and the text being somewhere in there, which is more aesthetically pleasing, but I think that this version is more accessible to people with sight issues.

Another good pick from this cool series.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The publisher provided the ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The ‘My First Little People, Big Dreams’ series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are concise, but that’s because they’re books for children, so it’s totally understandable.
I think they are a brilliant and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
This one is about the Incredible RuPaul, very famous now thanks to RuPaul's Drag Race show. His message is a significant one, which is to express ourselves, always.

[Amy Traynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational truly! Will be reading this book to every child I see🤩I’m hoping if I read it to my friend’s baby, its first word will be werk☺️

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


I just love these Little People BIG Dreams series and I look forward to a new batch each time. So when I saw a new batch appear with RuPaul in the mix? I knew I had to get it and read it!

I haven’t watched a lot of Dragrace, just episodes here and there, but I do love what I have seen. It is a fun show (or should I say shows) and I just love how RuPaul is there, either as himself, or in drag. I was definitely curious how he got to where he is now.

In this book we see just that. From how his childhood was, how even then he stood out, he wasn’t afraid to wear whatever he wanted. How his family loved him. How he got to be the icon he is now. I would at least call him an icon. And very inspiring. I wish I had that much confidence, now and back when I was a kid.

It was very nicely illustrated, I like the style.

The text is simple, but it tells us so much. You learn a whole lot about RuPaul. I didn’t even know he was in a band! Haha, that is amazing!

It was a shame that the text at the end (with the timeline and the photographs) was blank in my ecopy. While it is often a more text-heavy rehash of the story there are sometimes new details found there.

All in all, I would recommend this book to all who want to know more about RuPaul.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Louise Bath · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another entertaining introduction to a well-known figure, this time the world's most famous drag queen, RuPaul Charles. I didn't know very much about RuPaul's life, so I found this little book very interesting. Its message is one of finding your inner fabulousness, celebrating your uniqueness, and using the things you love to inform the creation of the best possible version of yourself. Celebrating diversity and celebrating what makes you happy are also important in this re-creation.

The book's positivity is welcome for children feeling themselves to be outsiders, but some of its affirmations seemed syrupy to me. It didn't help that drag lost its charm for me a couple of years ago, and I'd take Lily Savage over the Drag Show contestants any day.

But the depiction of RuPaul is what's important here, and it's charming. What you get is a gloriously colourful and creative individual who, encouraged by his mum, worked hard to attain the success and respect he has today. The book's artwork is *gorgeous*, with bright, bold colours.

Vibrant and rich in its colour palette, this is a feast for the eyes.

[Carol Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the way this book talked about his childhood and how he loved to play dress up and how it evolved into his career. I was previewing this book for library story time and I am planning on using it at some point. The message of loving and accepting yourself and finding "your people" whether your blood family or the family you choose is a very positive message regardless of what a child is struggling with accepting about themselves.

[Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that I love the books in this series, and the RuPaul installation may be my favorite yet! The illustrations are fun and the story is simple, yet powerful. It would be a great read for parents and children during Pride Month.

This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

[Laura Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sharah McConville · Rating 4 out of 5]

RuPaul is the latest addition in the Little People, Big Dreams series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. I have to admit I had never heard of this person but, still enjoyed this children's story with its fun, colourful illustrations. Thanks to NetGalley for my Digital ARC.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is maybe the cutest best picture book I’ve ever read ever.

[Lils <3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful, beautiful audio reading by Amy x

[Maddy Addison · Rating 5 out of 5]

RuPaul pushed me out of the closet and under the microscope

Posted on May 1, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist

I was raised to hold secrets; hide truths; put on faces “the world” expected me to wear. But the truth is, reader, that my tastes are different than some others. While many adults my age prefer to read thriller novels and sappy love stories, I am a closet children’s literature fan. This genre is honest, innocent, and pure of heart. And it illustrates the way my true heart wants to be.
After all, what better time in life is there to approach a developing heart and mind with the message of love and inclusiveness?
I’ve never seen drag queen RuPaul on television. Not once. I don’t watch TV. It’s not a slight. It just is. But a few years back I did watch a Masterclass video session RuPaul taught. It was life-changing to understand this person’s story and to embrace his philosophy when it came to how to behave when someone else does not accept you; when someone else is downright mean and hurtful in his words, actions and intentions. RuPaul’s message is foundational and I wish I’d learned it before I spent my childhood calling people “Booger,” and “Fat,” and “Stumpy.”
Whoever said that “sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me,” WAS A LIAR. They hurt. They actually destroy.
But one thing that truly cannot hurt me, or any child, is the understanding of love and acceptance that we humans can gift to one another.
Little People, Big Dreams, RuPaul, by author Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrator Wednesday Holmes is a child-sized account of a colorful, oak-strong personality who weathered the storm of the 1970s and 80s with the grace and wisdom of a queen.
Most influenced by his mother and three sisters, RuPaul’s childhood was a time of exploration and discovery. RuPaul was encouraged to be the person he was on the inside, and what blossomed out of that love and expression was a person who later defined the word, drag queen.
Forgive me for preaching, but here is why RuPaul’s children’s message is important to me as a Christian:
The power, in my mind, of the message of Christ, is that Jesus LOVES us; that Jesus ACCEPTS us, where we are, right now, at this moment. Why would it be different for RuPaul, or anyone else? It’s not. But I as a Christian have far too often jumped straight to weirdo and skipped right over top of the crystal clear message that the word “WE” means all of us.
I am thankful to God that RuPaul dared to stand up and express his personality. I am thankful that this story is on the shelves to teach the true oneness of humanity. And I am thankful that God has opened my eyes to see my error in excluding those who act differently than myself.
Little People, Big Dreams, RuPaul is an uplifting story that teaches our future that it’s okay to be different, that love truly does conquer all, and, ironically, Little People, Big Dreams, RuPaul shares the ultimate message of God’s love in a non-churchy format.
Oh, and for all you naysayers: Self-love is not always intended to be a Godless, carnal running wild of behavior. And in this case, I take it to mean that we all need to embrace who we are and “just be.”

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Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2

[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another colorful, fabulous entry into the Little People Big Dreams picture books series. This one is about LGBTQ+ and drag icon RuPaul. The book follows him through childhood to adulthood where he achieved fame. As always, the book is a brief, simplified biography with target audience of young children. The book includes an appendix with real photos of RuPaul and a timeline showing key moments in the life & career of this celeb. As always with this series, the book as encouraging messaging around following your dreams and being true to yourself.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

[mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, I loved the illustrations and vibrant colors used throughout this biographical children's book. They're so fun, and they really compliment RuPaul's story. The representation in this book is wonderful, and I thought the author did a great job summarizing RuPaul's life and impact thus far. This would be a great book to read and kickstart dialogue to help young people of all ages to learn and acknowledge their desires to be their own unique selves.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this ARC.

[christinemm · Rating 3 out of 5]

His claim to fame is he is a drag queen. This is for kids aged 4-8.