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$8.39The Story
A joyous picture book biography of José Sarria, a pioneering activist, drag queen, and the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the United States
Once upon a time, there lived a boy named José who dreamed of becoming royalty--and of a queendom where everyone would be treated fairly and with respect.
A child of immigrants from Colombia, José Sarria was born in San Francisco in 1922. With the support of his family, he grew up to discover what it means to be a queen.
He fought against evil by serving in WWII, helping to liberate a Nazi concentration camp; he inspired others to be their authentic selves by performing at San Francisco's Black Cat Café, a haven for artists and activists; and he cared for his community through his LGBTQ+ advocacy work, including the establishment of the Imperial Court System, a global charitable organization that still thrives today.
Sarria led by example, joyfully giving back to his community while challenging the status quo. With a fairy-tale feel and radiant illustrations, this picture book biography celebrates his legacy of seeing the world not as it is but as it could be.
Author: Kyle Casey Chu,Andrew W. Shaffer
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Published: 04/28/2026
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.01lbs
Size: 10.73h x 8.85w x 0.41d
ISBN: 9781419780806
Audience: Ages 4-8
Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 01/16/2026 pg. 1
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2026
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 04/01/2026
Booklist 03/01/2026
Publishers Weekly 03/16/2026
Foreword 04/27/2026
About the Author
Kyle Casey Chu, also known as Panda Dulce, is a San Francisco-born-and-raised writer and a founding queen of Drag Story Hour. Her first novel, The Queen Bees of Tybee County (2025), was named an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Children's Literature Honor title. Andrew W. Shaffer is a San Francisco-based historian of LGBTQ community and culture. His background includes graduate work at the University of San Francisco and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he helped to build the city's first permanent LGBTQ archives. Cindy Lozito is a mixed Latina illustrator, cartoonist, and muralist based in Philadelphia, originally from Queens, New York. Her murals and artwork have appeared at the World Trade Center and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. When she is not illustrating, you can find Lozito giving her terrier mix belly rubs, singing in her local choir, or drinking too much cold brew.
Description
A joyous picture book biography of José Sarria, a pioneering activist, drag queen, and the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the United States
Once upon a time, there lived a boy named José who dreamed of becoming royalty--and of a queendom where everyone would be treated fairly and with respect.
A child of immigrants from Colombia, José Sarria was born in San Francisco in 1922. With the support of his family, he grew up to discover what it means to be a queen.
He fought against evil by serving in WWII, helping to liberate a Nazi concentration camp; he inspired others to be their authentic selves by performing at San Francisco's Black Cat Café, a haven for artists and activists; and he cared for his community through his LGBTQ+ advocacy work, including the establishment of the Imperial Court System, a global charitable organization that still thrives today.
Sarria led by example, joyfully giving back to his community while challenging the status quo. With a fairy-tale feel and radiant illustrations, this picture book biography celebrates his legacy of seeing the world not as it is but as it could be.
Author: Kyle Casey Chu,Andrew W. Shaffer
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Published: 04/28/2026
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.01lbs
Size: 10.73h x 8.85w x 0.41d
ISBN: 9781419780806
Audience: Ages 4-8
Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 01/16/2026 pg. 1
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2026
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 04/01/2026
Booklist 03/01/2026
Publishers Weekly 03/16/2026
Foreword 04/27/2026
About the Author
Kyle Casey Chu, also known as Panda Dulce, is a San Francisco-born-and-raised writer and a founding queen of Drag Story Hour. Her first novel, The Queen Bees of Tybee County (2025), was named an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Children's Literature Honor title. Andrew W. Shaffer is a San Francisco-based historian of LGBTQ community and culture. His background includes graduate work at the University of San Francisco and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he helped to build the city's first permanent LGBTQ archives. Cindy Lozito is a mixed Latina illustrator, cartoonist, and muralist based in Philadelphia, originally from Queens, New York. Her murals and artwork have appeared at the World Trade Center and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. When she is not illustrating, you can find Lozito giving her terrier mix belly rubs, singing in her local choir, or drinking too much cold brew.
