The subject of being a queer kid in a children’s book, even a picture book, is not new. However, the format of What Kind of Queen?: A Royal Biography of Drag Queen and Activist José Sarria gives things a fresher feeling and makes a relatively unknown person accessible. The extras add to the bigger picture of who and what Jose Sarria was, but before you get there, to the end of Sarria’s life and accomplishments he was a child who knew how to be himself. 
That part unfolds on the pages of What Kind of Queen? The contributors Kyle Casey Chu, Andrew W. Shaffer, and illustrator Cindy Lozito (due late April 2026; read via an online reader) show us the boy who knew he was different, was loved, and that the world could be unkind to him because he was different. The illustrations are sharply done, but not overly complex, or not simplistic. The spirit of the subject is told with care in both art and text.
Born in 1922, the life of Sarria unfolds on the pages in highlighted moments of his life. The fact they wanted to be a Queen and have their own Queendom wasn’t going to stop him as he was able to win over many doubters as he would go through school, the army and afterwards. This simple, but not simplistic, look into a queer pioneer is a great addition to any library. Good colors allow the illustrations to be read as well as the text, combining to make a book that might not become a classic, but will be something you remember long after you close the book.