RuPaul (61) (Little People, BIG DREAMS)

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In the caption of the post, Ru continued to underline the exposure in the new memoir. “Writing this book left me gooped, gagged and stripped raw,” he wrote. “I’ve learned that vulnerability is strength, but so far, all I feel is nervous as hell, yet super excited to share it with y’all. When all is said and done, it’s just me, Ru.” 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. 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. Yet that adaptability has made him enigmatic to the public. In this memoir, his most intimate and detailed book yet, RuPaul makes himself truly known. 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.

A profound introspection of his life, relationships, and identity, The House of Hidden Meanings is a self-portrait of the legendary icon on the road to global fame and changing the way the world thinks about drag. 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. In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of RuPaul, the shape-shifter, performer, supermodel, and host of RuPaul's Drag Race.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.” 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.

For RuPaul, the past few years spent writing the memoir became an unexpected process of self-discovery – whether he was reexamining challenging moments from his childhood, or simply recognising how pivotal that turbulent period was in shaping the performer, producer, and entertainment powerhouse he is today. So you might think that as he prepares to put the book out into the world, RuPaul must be feeling more fearless than ever. But he isn’t – and that was exactly the point of writing it. “It’s pretty scary – although the scary part is really this part, where I’m actually having to talk about it,” he says, before breaking into his infectious laugh. “But I’ve always carried the truth of who I am inside of me. This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children. 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.”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.

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 realize, 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 realize it had nothing to do with you, and you can relieve yourself of some of the pressure and blame you’ve assigned to yourself.” It's one book, you should definitely buy for your little readers so they can learn about this wonderful artist. In the early 1990s, RuPaul landed a record contract and released his first album, Supermodel of the World, while also starting a career in acting. On the strength of his TV shows, including RuPaul's Drag Race, and his oversized personality, RuPaul has become a beacon in gay, drag and transsexual communities. Early Life

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. 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…” Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. RuPaul was born RuPaul Andre Charles on November 17, 1960, in San Diego, California. His parents divorced when RuPaul was seven, and he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with his sister and her husband during his teens. RuPaul was the only boy of his parents’ four children and eventually began wearing his sisters’ clothes and exploring cross-dressing, emulating stars like Diana Ross and Jane Fonda in his youth.

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

It was interesting enough as an intro to The Scene (since I'm not at all versed in it, or exposed to it beyond TV), and I enjoyed all the pictures of young Scene RuPaul. But... those years are quite, quite obviously heavily glossed to avoid all the "seedier" aspects. And I still don't know who Lady Bunny really is in relation to RuPaul, even though they were friends coming up together. The book doesn't make any friendships very clear... it's entirely focused on Ru and her emergence into mainstream culture. 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. 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.