Jonathan Van Ness announces inclusive new children’s book Gorgeously Me!

Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness is dipping their toe back into the world children’s literature with their upcoming release Gorgeously Me!, illustrated by Kamala Nair.

Best known as the exuberant hair and grooming specialist on Netflix’s hit reality series Queer Eye, Van Ness is also a New York Times bestseller, with three books already under their belt.

In 2019, Van Ness published their memoir Over The Top: A Raw Journey of Self Love. This was followed up by a collection of raw and candid essays titled Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life in 2022.

In 2020, the non-binary reality star also released their first children’s picture book Peanut Goes for Gold about a non-binary guinea pig “who does everything with their own personal flare”.

Now, they are expanding their children’s book collection with their 2024 release Gorgeously Me! The official synopsis describes the book as a “Celebration of all the things that make you extraordinary, unique, and gorgeously YOU.”

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“Being true to yourself and showing the world who you are isn’t always easy,” the synopsis continues. “Gorgeously Me! assures young readers that they are loved and cherished, exactly as they are. A joyous, lyrical ode of pride and self love and a celebration of all of the things that make us exceptional.”

The synopsis is accompanied by an inspirational rhyming quote from the novel that reads: “I won’t be afraid to stand out / or show the world what I’m all about / I am exactly who I’m meant to be / Perfectly, happily, gorgeously me!”

Van Ness shared the inspiration behind the novel in a statement with Variety, saying: “Everything I do is aimed at encouraging people to be authentically themselves and celebrate what makes them unique. There is enough love, success and joy to go around!”

Goregeously Me! will be published by Penguin Random House under their Flamingo imprint, with Flamingo editor Cheryl Eissing stating: “We are so thrilled to bring Jonathan Van Ness to the Flamingo list with such a meaningful project.

“Gorgeously Me! is a joyous celebration of self-love and a book that assures young readers that they are treasured and loved, just the way they are.”

Van Ness has long been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. In a recent interview on the Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert, the TV personality was brought to tears while defending trans kids after Shepard noted that “some people are very uncomfortable about teenagers transitioning”.

After some back-and-forth, an emotional Van Ness declared: “I wish that people were as passionate about little kids being able to be included or grow up as they were about fictitious women’s fairness in sports. I have to tell you I am very tired.

“If there’s one thing I could leave you with: Little kids are not getting gender reassignment surgery. Three-year-olds are not getting hysterectomies. They’re not getting f***ing breast implants.”

Gorgeously Me! by Jonathan Van Ness will published in the US on 30 April, 2024. It is available to pre-order here.

While Van Ness’s other works are available from Amazon, Waterstones and Barnes and Noble.