Vogue Legend

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Author(s)

Joy Michael Ellison

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Nabi H. Ali

Publisher

Candlewick

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

May 05, 2026

ISBN

978-1536230086

Buy This Book

Kicking off a picture book series of LGBTQ+ biographies is this inspiring story of the incomparable dancer Willi Ninja, Grandfather of Vogue and star of the film Paris Is Burning.

When little Willi Leake watched karate movies with his mother in their cozy Queens apartment, he’d slice the air with his arms like swords. He’d swish his hips like the models he saw in magazines and copy ancient pharaohs’ poses from Egyptian hieroglyphs. Bursting with energy, Willi would strut his way down the street, and his mother would tell him not to mind the puzzled looks he’d get. When she took him to the Apollo Theater to watch ballerinas twirling, Willi allowed himself to dream—and the more he dreamed, the more he danced. With an accessible text and dynamic illustrations, Joy Michael Ellison and Nabi H. Ali trace Willi’s path against the odds as he brings his signature moves to the dance style known as vogue and finds his spotlight at the Harlem drag balls where a performer known as Willi Ninja is born. Providing context, community, and comprehension of queer and trans culture for young history buffs, the lively narrative is followed by back matter delving into more details about Willi Ninja and what life was like during his time.

Editor review

1 review

Informative Picture Book on Vogue

June 15, 2026 (Updated: June 21, 2026)

Overall rating

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Learning Value

5.0

This is the start of LGBTQ+ biographies through picture books and tells the story of Willi Ninja, the grandfather of Vogue. The book goes through Willi’s childhood in which he would walk like the models he saw in magazines, and use his arms like swords while watching karate movies. Willi’s mom took him to the theater to watch ballerinas and told him that one day he could be on stage too.

What I Liked: Willi Ninja: Vogue Legend tells the story of Willi’s journey to Vogue and how he found his home in this dance style. The story begins by taking you through his childhood and through Willi’s dreams of dancing into his time being introduced to Vogue. The book does a great job of breaking down historically important moments in Vogue in a manner that younger audiences will be able to engage in.

The book uses vibrant illustrations to highlight movement across the various pages. The illustrations do an amazing job of showing the movement and dancing that Willi is engaging in throughout the book. Through the illustrations you can feel the music and the scenes that this book is taking you through. The illustrations do a great job of setting you into the past and taking you through the time period in which the book takes place.

Final Verdict: Willi Ninja: Vogue Legend is an amazing picture book that introduces children ages 6 and up to the history of Vogue in an approachable manner. This book is great for people who learn through illustrations and who are interested in queer and trans culture and history. This lively book is perfect for introducing children to Vogue, and showing them the vibrant culture of vogue.