Llama Glamarama

Larry the llama has a secret: at night, when the other llamas are being terribly sensible and keeping quiet in the barn, he becomes a multicoloured, dazzling, dancing llama with a penchant for sparkle. How utterly divine! Yet Larry worries that the other llamas won’t understand his love of dance - or his rainbow feather boa. Thinking that he should give up dance altogether, a despondent Larry goes off on his own, only to find an exciting poster for a Llama Glamarama carnival nearby. Will Larry find a place where he fits in? And, perhaps, will he end up feeling comfortable enough to be himself with the other llamas too?

Simon James Green is well known for his positive, hilarious books for teens featuring gay characters, and his first (rhyming) picture book celebrates a llama who feels a little different from the crowd. At the end, we find out that in fact quite a few of the other llamas also have aspects of their identity that they too feel a bit sensitive about; the message here – delivered in a bright, fun book - is that we all need to be true to ourselves and celebrate the ways we are different, fabulous and glamarama-worthy. Garry Parsons’ illustration is full of character, expression and some pretty fabulous dancing animals. Viva glamarama!