Happy Tuesday, kidlit friends! This past week my state of Tennessee passed horrific anti-LGBTQ+ legislation banning transgender care for minors and making it a FELONY to wear drag in public. I have queer friends preparing to flee the state, and I have to say, it’s just extremely depressing to live in a dystopia. This week I’m bringing the queer with some fantastic drag queen read-alouds. I also have some exciting new releases to review (though not relating to drag).
Before we get to those, are you looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more from experts in the world of books and reading? Subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com.
Bookish Goods
Read Queer Books Sticker by CraftyQueerStudio
I need a new sticker for the back of my phone, and this is a definite contender. $5
New Releases
Lia & Luís: Puzzled! by Ana Crespo, illustrated by Giovana Medeiros (picture book)
Several new picture and board books in the Storytelling Math series are releasing today. In this one, twins Lia and Luís have received a puzzle from their grandma, a puzzle that contains a surprise. Now all they need to do is work together to put the puzzle together and figure out the surprise. But puzzles take a lot of patience! I highly recommend checking out the entire series.
Rainbow Shopping by Qing Zhuang (picture book)
A young girl has recently moved from China to New York City. Her parents work long hours, and she misses her old home. One dreary, rainy Saturday, her mother takes her to Chinatown, where they purchase bright food of every color. At home, she helps her dad prepare a feast, and she, her parents, and her grandmother have a delicious, rainbow meal just like they did in China.
What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young (middle grade)
In this poignant paranormal middle grade, 12-year-old Calista Wynn can speak to ghosts, like her father and grandmother and aunt. However, the Wynn family is cursed, and when each member turns 13, their ability to speak to ghosts disappears. Calista’s 13th birthday is mere days away, and she doesn’t want to lose her power. Her father and grandmother died years earlier, and to be unable to communicate with their ghosts would be like losing them all over again. And now kids keep disappearing in her town, and at least one of them is a ghost. This is a fun but also sweet horror novel.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
Here are three picture books starring drag queens that we frequently reread at home!
The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Lil Miss Hot Mess, Olga De Dios Ruiz (picture book)
Can a book get any more fun? Readers can sing and dance along to this delightful riff on “The Wheels on the Bus” starring several drag queens with fantastic names: Mother Lucy Goosey, Cinderfella, Rita Booke, and more. With vibrant colors and catchy lyrics, this is a book you should expect to read many times. Also check out the second book in the series — If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It.
Big Wig by Jonathan Hillman, illustrated by Levi Hastings (picture book)
With Wig on, the young B.B. Bedazzle is more than ready for a local drag competition. However, when B.B. arrives, she’s no longer as confident in winning. Everyone looks so fabulous! But Wig does help B.B. feel confident, and when Wig blows off in the wind, it helps audience members feel like they can embrace their wildest dreams, too. This is a really imaginative, joyful picture book.
The Sublime Ms. Stacks by Robb Pearlman, illustrated by Dani Jones (picture book)
It’s storytime at the library. When the kids aren’t looking, librarian Mr. Stephen sneaks out and, in a few minutes, Ms. Stacks appears. She’s everyone’s favorite storytime leader. She’s exciting and so good at performing the books! The kids have a blast, but they also love Mr. Stephen, who reappears after storytime, though clever readers will realize he was there the entire time.
Yesterday we had fierce winds that wreaked havoc in Nashville and the surrounding areas. This morning my daughter and I got trash bags and our litter picker uppers (as we call them) to help clean up the neighborhood. She’s standing by a lovely, big tree that fell across our street. It’s sad to see it go.
If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, and blog irregularly at Baby Librarians. You can also read my Book Riot posts. If you’d like to drop me a line, my email is kingsbury.margaret@gmail.com.
Until next Tuesday!
Margaret Kingsbury