New Children’s Book from Oldham Drag Queen Tells an Important Tale of Compassion, Kindness and Empowerment

A new thought-provoking and heart-warming children’s story titled Penny The Pigeon Queen is available for pre-order and will be released on 28th November 2024. Inspired by a real-life encounter with a child scaring town centre pigeons and a love of all creatures, it is the first book from Paul Burgess, known for his popular YouTube channel – Those Vegan Guys – and his drag persona Gemini, from The Vegan Queens.  

Penny The Pigeon Queen is a fearless and magic pigeon with a royal flair. As she watches over her pigeon people, she learns – and teaches – valuable life lessons about being true to herself while she navigates the often-conflicting expectations of the world around her. The book is layered with important messages about emotional intelligence, kindness, and how children can manage the different pressures they face from friends and family as they grow up.

Penny The Pigeon Queen is recommended for children aged 3 to 8. It is published by Nightingale Books, an imprint of Pegasus Elliot MacKenzie Publishers Ltd, and available to order on the Pegasus website and Amazon. Emerging illustrator, Helen Woods Horley, has teamed up with Paul to bring the story to life in pictures.

Paul Burgess, who is 55 and from Oldham in Greater Manchester, said: “I wanted the story to act a vivid reminder to children to be kind toward all creatures, but it’s also a subtle exploration of the emotional expectations placed on children in today’s society. I hope it also makes parents stop and think about how they are role models for fostering empathy, understanding and kindness for others – whether they’re humans or pigeons!”

The idea for Penny The Pigeon Queen came when Paul was feeding pigeons in Oldham town centre and a child who was approximately 5 years old ran into the group of birds, attempting to scatter them. When Paul gently asked the child if he would like to feed the birds instead of scaring them, the child’s mother lashed out at Paul, leaving a lasting impression on the new children’s author.

Burgess continued: “It was one of those moments that made me reflect on how disrespect for animals can begin quite innocently at a very early age. My aim was to create a sweet and fun story that teaches respect, and not just for animals, but also for ourselves and each other.”

“Children today are faced with so many expectations, from how they should behave to what emotions they should express, and I wanted to show that it’s okay for children to feel and be themselves. As a gay man and drag queen artist, I’ve been conscious about navigating society’s expectations my whole life. Penny The Pigeon Queen certainly addresses themes of individuality and self-acceptance, which I hope resonates with both children or adults.”

 

As a children’s author and drag performer, Burgess has also commented about Penny The Pigeon Queen being a response to the recent recurring debate over drag queens story hour events in schools and libraries.

“There has been a lot of backlash about drag queens reading to kids and the levels of abuse and threats that performers have received in some reports is shocking,” exclaimed Burgess. “Stories have the power to teach empathy, creativity, and critical thinking and I can really see Penny The Pigeon Queen driving that message in drag story hours up and down the country. While they may try to stop us from reading to children, they can’t stop us from writing for them.”

Penny The Pigeon Queen is now available to pre-order online at the Pegasus website, Amazon and in bookstores.