Playing Wicked

by Alex R. Kahler, Ben Whitehouse (Illustrator)

No matter who you are, sometimes it's fun to pretend to be wicked!Dante loves playing make believe. When he's with his friends, he's the wizened wizard or regal ruler. But when he's by himself, Dante would rather be the wicked queen. Then, one day, his dress and makeup are just so perfect that he braves the outdoors, delighting in his playful evilness. Will Dante find someone to play the hero to his villain?

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Royalty

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Alex (A.R.) Kahler is the nomadic author of quite a few books and series, including THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS and RAVENBORN. When not writing or on the road, he can be founding climbing things and drinking copious amounts of coffee. Although born in Iowa, his heart resides in Scotland. And about a dozen other places scattered across the globe. Including, currently, SoCal. Track his travels on Instagram @arkahler

Reviews

[Louis Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pride Month 2023 Read #1.
3.5, rounded up to 4. Great book for kids - and GROWNUPS, as well! - and a VERY quick read. However, as someone else on GR pointed out, it's a bit strange that the "heroes" are all male, and the "villains" are all female. Happy Pride, everyone!!

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book creating a safe place for queer culture. However, it is also just a book about play and imagination. It is naturally presented. Not preachy. Has layers.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book about dressing up and playing make believe.
The main character, Dante, doesn't always want to be the hero, sometimes he wants to be wicked.
One thing that is a little strange is that the imaginary "heros" in this book are all male (wizard, bard, king), and the "wicked" characters are all females (queens, enchantress, warrior empress, water witch...). It could have been a bit more varied, with some female heroes and some wicked male characters.
The book shows how kids can pretend / imagine to be any character they want, regardless of gender.
A good length for preschoolers.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

After playing lots of different characters, Dante wants to play a wicked witch, but he can't find the perfect dress for what he wants. So he makes one and then feels comfortable enough to play and tell stories with others.

Lots of fun alliteration/consonance in here as Dante tries on different outfits and explores associated characters.

[Kathleen]

Queer content: boy dresses up as a wicked queen, hints of attraction to another boy

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dante is a young boy with a big imagination. When he gets tired of dressing up as the hero, he decides playing the wicked queen would be fun. This picture book is filled with rich vocabulary and lessons on acceptance. A great addition to a LBGTQ shelf.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dante has many wicked queen costumes but none of them feel right. Until he makes the perfect one and finds the perfect hero to fight.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy loves to play dress up, but he wants to be the evil, not the princess, so he designs his own outfit.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little uncomfortable that he's only dressing in "girl" clothes when he wants to be wicked.

Otherwise, fun story about playing dress-up and imaginary play in groups or alone.

[Sarah Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in the book. Almost like they just changed the kid playing dress up to a boy to be PC.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This creative and colorful story celebrates dress-up and imaginative play--whether you want to be a wise wizard, a singing bard, or even a wicked queen!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable book about imagination and being yourself. Dante loves to dress up as wizards, bards, and powerful evil queens.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. I also received an ARC at ALA Midwinter 2020.