RuPaul (61) (Little People, BIG DREAMS)

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RuPaul and the U-Hauls broke up before too long, and Wee Wee Pole was formed in its place, performing around Atlanta. RuPaul also made his first move into acting during this period, appearing in uncredited roles in a series of low-budget movies. While these appearances didn’t help RuPaul climb the ladder of fame, he was never short on ideas to further his career. In one such push, RuPaul sold pictures of himself as postcards and created little booklets with self-penned witticisms and anecdotes.

This won’t be RuPaul’s first time flexing his writing skills. The House of Hidden Meanings marks Ru’s fourth book, preceded by his 1996 autobiography Lettin It All Hang Out, his 2010 style guide Workin’ It!: RuPaul’s Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style, and his 2018 self-help guidebook GuRu. Did he discover more of those hidden meanings as he got deeper into the writing process? “Oh, absolutely,” he says. “Absolutely. And that’s where a kind of fearlessness comes in. A lot of the time, we, as humans, carry with us guilt about certain things. And then you realise, Oh my goodness, that had nothing to do with me. That was their issue. Right now, I’m talking about my parents. But when you look at it as an adult, you realise it had nothing to do with you, and you can relieve yourself of some of the pressure and blame you’ve assigned to yourself.”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’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.

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. Never one to rest on his laurels, the entertainer launched his RuPaul: What's the Tee? podcast in 2014, with frequent collaborator Michelle Visage, and appeared as a judge on the body painting competition Skin Wars. He also hosted the trivia game show Gay for Play for two seasons beginning in April 2016, while continuing to churn out albums like 2015's Slay Belles and 2017's Remember Me: Essential, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and American. 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. 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. 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.In March 2018, RuPaul was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, thereby becoming the first drag queen to receive the honor. Following an introductory speech by Fonda, one of his early inspirations, he tearfully told the audience that this was "absolutely the most important moment in my professional career." Personal Life

Forgive me for preaching, but here is why RuPaul’s children’s message is important to me as a Christian:I received an eARC copy from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was always RuPaul. Always. Even as a kid, I would dress up in my sisters’ clothes, in cowboy outfits, in sailor outfits. I loved putting on different costumes. 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. 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.

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.’” In 1994, RuPaul made his feature film debut in Spike Lee’s Crooklyn, and a new facet of his performing career was launched. A string of roles would follow, including on TV shows such as Sister, Sister and In the House and in films such as The Brady Bunch Movie, Blue in the Face and To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (all in 1995 alone). That same year, RuPaul saw his autobiography Lettin’ It All Hang Out published and he also signed on as a model with MAC cosmetics. RuPaul next landed his own TV talk show, aptly titled The RuPaul Show, which ran until 1998. 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.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. 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. 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.