The concept was simple: a drag queen reading queer-inclusive children’s books to kids. “It's just a certain sense of humor, a sense of the fantastic.” So Tea, in collaboration with RADAR Productions, organized her own fantastic take on storytime at a library in the Castro, one of the country’s most historic LGBT neighborhoods. “There is just a sort of flair with which queers do anything,” she said.

The writer, who identifies as queer, imagined a storytime that promoted diversity and inclusion, with a pinch of camp - a family event that reflected her own family. As a new mother, she suddenly found herself at events like storytimes at her local San Francisco library, which felt welcoming but “really straight,” she said. The coloring book featured activities like “Find Your Drag Name!” After the event, a librarian told me this was one of the library’s most well-attended storytimes, a particular feat considering the torrential rain.Īuthor Michelle Tea started Drag Queen Story Hour in 2015, shortly after giving birth to her son Atticus. She concluded the hour with crafts, including excerpts from The Dragtivity Book, a coloring book co-produced by Drag Queen Story Hour and Sez Me, an LGBT web series for kids. “OK, we’ll work on it.”īetween books, she led animated singalongs, challenging the children to “catch a bubble” - cheeks puffed dramatically, mouths closed - whenever it got too noisy. “Does that mean you love me?”īella and the parents laughed. “I am a mermaid,” said Bella Noche, who pinned a large, bright orange crab to one side of her hair. “I love mermaids more than anybody!” yelled a third. “I love mermaids!” yelled one kid after Bella Noche introduced the book’s title. The picture book by Jessica Love tells the story of a young Latino boy mesmerized by the sight of three women dressed as shimmering mermaids. As the noise settled, Bella Noche eased into a chair and read three books, which playfully addressed themes of diversity and acceptance, starting with Julián Is a Mermaid. The audience of about 20 children, ages 3–6, and their caretakers erupted in applause. She wore a teal wig that matched the color of her sequin top, and strappy gold stilettos. On a rainy Thursday afternoon in October, Bella Noche sashayed into the reading room at the North Forest Park library in Queens.

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