photo: Joe Montana
About
Lil Miss Hot Mess
book a performance or reading!Known for throwing extravaganzas like her “Bat Mitzvah x2” and roller skating parties, Lil Miss Hot Mess has appeared on world-class stages like SFMOMA, Stanford University, and Saturday Night Live, as well as legendary clubs like The Stud, Hard French, Bushwig, Queen Kong, and many more. She loves packing her performances full of political satire and technology to help illuminate what a hot mess the world can be. As a digital activist, Hot Mess was also a founding organizer of the #MyNameIs campaign that successfully challenged Facebook’s “real names” policy.
Lil Miss Hot Mess is a storyteller and serves on the board for Drag Story Hour. She is the author of the children’s book The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish (Running Press Kids, 2020), If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It (Running Press Kids, 2022), and Make Your Own Rainbow: A Drag Queen’s Guide to Color (Running Press Kids, 2025). She has hosted readings around the country, including for the Brooklyn Museum, RuPaul’s Drag Con, HBO, WNET’s Let’s Learn, Utah Humanities, and numerous libraries, schools, and community groups coast-to-coast.
When not twirling, Lil Miss Hot Mess works a professor. Her writing has been published in NBC News, Slate, Wired, The Guardian, Salon, HuffPost, and them., as well as in academic journals like Curriculum Inquiry. As a thought leader, she has spoken at leading educational events and cultural institutions like SXSW EDU, Kennedy Center for the Arts, Tucson Humanities Festival, and several universities. She has also been interviewed and quoted by numerous media outlets, from the New Yorker to NPR, Rolling Stone to Teen Vogue.
She splits her time between Tucson and Los Angeles.
Books
Make Your Own Rainbow:
A Drag Queen's Guide to Color
Make Your Own Rainbow: A Drag Queen’s Guide to Color
written by Lil Miss Hot Mess, illustrated by Olga de Dios published by Running Press Kids, May 2025 Explore a kaleidoscope of colors beyond the rainbow in this celebratory and empowering book! Drag queens love to dance to their own beat, speak their minds, and let their best selves shine. They love all the colors of the rainbow—as well as all the colors beyond! From scarlet, marigold, lemon, and emerald, to azure, periwinkle, Byzantium, and onyx, the world’s diverse range of colors allows drag queens and kings to be authentic and creative. And you, too, can use any color or hue to express yourself and your fierce imagination! Travel through a colorful, playful, and uplifting world with Drag Story Hour storyteller Lil Miss Hot Mess and whimsical illustrator Olga De Dios in their latest inclusive picture book.
Pre-Order Now!
…or ask your favorite local bookstore to order.
Some of these contain affiliate links, so your purchase supports me ever more!
Pre-Order Now!
…or ask your favorite local bookstore or library to order.
Some of these contain affiliate links, from which I earn a small commission, so your purchase supports me ever more!
If You're a Drag Queen and You Know It
If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It
written by Lil Miss Hot Mess, illustrated by Olga de Dios
published by Running Press Kids, 2022
Strike a pose. Blow a kiss. Mouth the words. A fun, sing-along book with a drag twist that encourage kids to embrace all the playfulness of drag culture.
If you’re a drag queen and you know it, let it show by winking, shaking your bum, laughing real big, twirling around, and more! Join a cast of fabulous drag queens as you sing along to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” in this playful celebration of expressing your brightest and boldest self.
Order Now!
…or ask your favorite local bookstore to order.
Some of these contain affiliate links, so your purchase supports me ever more!
Order Now!
…or ask your favorite local bookstore or library to order.
Some of these contain affiliate links, from which I earn a small commission, so your purchase supports me ever more!
pRAISE
Kirkus Reviews: “The classic children’s action song gets a fabulous twist. Drag queens take center stage in this adaptation of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” The lively, colorful illustrations and the characters’ wild costumes will engage readers from the first page…. Adults will enjoy reintroducing children to a new version of a timeless childhood song. And of course, for libraries participating in Drag Queen Story Hour, this title is a must! A delightful spin on an old musical favorite.”
Mombian: “The author/illustrator duo behind 2020’s The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish reunite for another fun riff on a classic children’s song… this book will have obvious appeal at [DQSH] events, but it’s also a great book for home fun—although it may not be the best for winding down at bedtime!”
Booklist: “Primed for a drag-queen story time or any dress-up and sing-along fun, this spin on ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’ features glam drag queens in sparkling and patterned outfits leading the action.”
Out Front Magazine: “A beautifully illustrated children’s book that will be a fun, joyous, nightly read for the kids, with the possibility to make it into a fun song! It features inclusivity on every page and makes sure the entire book is full of beautifully styled illustrations.”
Coloring Pages
Now’s your chance to color the characters from the book, with these phenomenal (and printable) illustrations by Olga de Dios!
You can also draw your favorite characters — or create your own drag persona!
Post your artwork on social media and tag me @lilmisshotmess with #drawadragqueen.
The hips on the drag queen go Swish, swish, swish
The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish
written by Lil Miss Hot Mess, illustrated by Olga de Dios
published by Running Press Kids, 2020
The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish encourages readers to boldly be exactly who they are. Written by a founding member of the nationally recognized Drag Story Hour (DSH), this playful picture book offers a quirky twist on a classic nursery rhyme by illustrating all of the ways to “work it”. The story plays off “The Wheels on the Bus” as it follows a drag queen who performs her routine in front of an awestruck audience. A fun frenzy of fierceness, this book will appeal to readers of all ages.
Buy Now!
…or ask your favorite local bookstore to pre-order.
Some of these contain affiliate links, so your purchase supports me ever more!
Buy Now!
…or ask your favorite local bookstore or library to order.
Some of these contain affiliate links, so your purchase supports me ever more!
pRAISE
Kirkus Reviews, starred review: “This book’s gonna werk, werk, werk all through Pride Month and beyond. Drag persona Lil Miss Hot Mess rewrites ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ to create a fun, movement-filled, family-friendly celebration of drag. . . . Appropriately psychedelic. . . . Fun, fun, fun all through the town!”
BuzzFeed: “The Wheels on the Bus? Throw her out, she’s OVER. The Hips On the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish is a funny, inspiring picture book that encourages children to be themselves. Remember, children need to learn how to read books before they read people.
Elizabeth Bird, Fuse8 (School Library Journal): “The Hips on the Drag Queens Go Swish Swish Swish takes the familiar and renders it fabulous.”
Matt Baume, them.: “features bright, imaginative illustrations of dancing drag queens accompanied by kid-friendly song lyrics designed to get youngsters excited to read, move around, and express themselves.”
She Knows: “a fun romp into Dragland kids of all ages will love. From the costumes and the makeup to the rhymes, this story and its queens make it clear: Being yourself is the coolest.
The Tiny Activist: “All of the drag queen characters… encompass a variety of drag styles, so much personality is conveyed through the illustrations!… Having a space where everyone is accepted for whatever they like to do is crucial for kids, and having books that specifically celebrate creativity and fashion assist in making that happen.”
More Press
PRESS
- Publishers Weekly: “Dressed for Success: LGBTQ Children’s Books 2020”
- Romper: “The Spirit Of Drag Queen Story Hour Has Moved Online & Onto Your Shelves”
- Mombian: “Drag Queens and Other Performers Take Center Stage in New Kids’ Books”
- 48 Hills: “A Drag Queen Story Hour star and activist publishes her own kids’ book”
Extras
Coloring Pages
Now’s your chance to color the characters from the book, with these phenomenal (and printable) illustrations by Olga de Dios!
You can also draw your favorite characters — or create your own drag persona!
Post your artwork on social media and tag me @lilmisshotmess with #drawadragqueen.
Book Stickers
Request a personalized book sticker from Lil Miss Hot Mess!
Since I can’t travel now to sign books, I’m happy to send a signed sticker to all my friends and fans! It’s FREE, but donations to Drag Queen Story Hour are welcome if you can! Just fill out the the form.
Please note: at this point, I’m taking a break from sending stickers — hopefully more will come later!
WRITING + Press
“Don’t Let George Santos Bring Drag Down”
Slate, Jan 2023
“Drag Queens won’t be cowed by haters. The story hour goes on.”
NBC News, June 2022
More Essays + Articles
- Curriculum Inquiry: “Drag Pedagogy: The Playful Practice of Queer Imagination in Early Childhood” (with Harper Keenan)
- Wired: “A Drag Queen’s Guide to Protecting Your Privacy on Facebook by Breaking the Rules”
- Them: “I’m Deleting Facebook Until It Learns to Respect Queer Users”
- Wired: “Facebook’s Hate Speech Policies Censor Marginalized Users”
- Salon: “Not so fast, Mark Zuckerberg: 4 reasons to be skeptical of his $45 billion giveaway”
- Huffington Post: “One Year Later, Facebook Fails to Fix Its Biased Real Names Policy”
- Salon: “Say my name: Facebook’s unfair “real names” policy continues to harm vulnerable users”
- The Guardian: “Facebook’s ‘real name’ policy hurts real people and creates a new digital divide”
- Huffington Post: “Shame on Facebook: How Zuckerberg’s Confusing “Real Names” Policy Hurts More Than It Helps”
- Salon: “Let me be Lil Miss Hot Mess: Facebook took away my stage name”
press clippings
- LGBTQ Nation: “Rising queen Lil Miss Hot Mess on how drag upsets the status quo” (interview with Michael Musto)
- New Yorker: “Kids Attend Drag Queen Story Hour”
- Vox: “Drag queens are more political than ever. Can they lead a movement?”
- Them: “Drag Queens Are Bringing Families Together at Public Libraries Across the U.S.”
- Tablet: “Lil Miss Hot Mess Makes a Great Children’s Storyteller”
- New York Times: “Drag Performers Fight Facebook’s ‘Real Name’ Policy”
- NPR: “Facebook Requires Real Names. What Does That Mean For Drag Queens?”
- More coming soon!
Lil Miss Hot Mess on Channel 4
Photos
@Lilmisshotmess Instagram
More photos, videos, and press clippings coming soon!
Get in touch.
Love letters only please!