Drag Queen Story Time with Akasha L. Van Cartier and Leia Way LeStat!
KST Presents
Saturday, October 24
3:00pm on Youtube with private link from ticket purchase
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Drag Queen Story Time is just what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children! KST is thrilled to present a 3 episode short series, Drag Queen Story Time with Pittsburgh’s own twenty-one year drag veteran and pageant winner Akasha L. Van Cartier! Each story time, Akasha will be joined by current reigning Miss P-Town Leia Way LeStat to share two stories along with songs and dances to engage your child. Drag Queen Story Time captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. In spaces like this, kids are able to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where people can present as they wish, where dress up is real. Run time: approx. 20min.
Featured Books on Saturday October 24:
Black Is a Rainbow Color By Angela Joy, with Illustrations by Ekua Holmes.
Julián Is a Mermaid By Jessica Love with illustrations by Jessica Love.
About the Books:
A child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving and powerful anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on.
Red is a rainbow color.
Green sits next to blue.
Yellow, orange, violet, indigo,
They are rainbow colors, too, but
My color is black . . .
And there’s no BLACK in rainbows.
From the wheels of a bicycle to the robe on Thurgood Marshall’s back, Black surrounds our lives. It is a color to simply describe some of our favorite things, but it also evokes a deeper sentiment about the incredible people who helped change the world and a community that continues to grow and thrive.
Stunningly illustrated by Caldecott Honoree and Coretta Scott King Award winner Ekua Holmes, Black Is a Rainbow Color is a sweeping celebration told through debut author Angela Joy’s rhythmically captivating and unforgettable words.
Winner of a 2019 Stonewall Book Award
In an exuberant picture book, a glimpse of costumed mermaids leaves one boy flooded with wonder and ready to dazzle the world.
While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love’s author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.
Drag Queen Story Time is based on Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) which was created by Michelle Tea and RADAR Productions, under the leadership of Juli Delgado Lopera and Virgie Tovar, in San Francisco in 2015. It started out as drag queens reading stories to children in libraries and grew into a global phenomenon! DQSH now offers literary and creative programming for kids and teens of all ages led by drag queens, kings, and creatures all over the world. DQSH is a global network of local organizations, each of which is independently managed and funded.
Don’t miss the other episodes of this three part series: