By Denny Patterson
Beloved television personality, author, and RuPaul’s Drag Race mainstay Ross Mathews has long used his signature wit and warmth to entertain audiences of all ages. Now, he’s bringing that same heart to the world of children’s literature—this time with a very special co-author: his husband, Dr. Wellinthon García.
The dynamic duo has teamed up to release their first-ever children’s book, Tío & Tío: The Ring Bearers.
Featuring vibrant illustrations by Tommy Doyle and a special foreword by Drew Barrymore, Tío & Tío follows two young brothers, Evan and Andy, who travel to Mexico to play a special role in their uncles’ wedding. Inspired by Ross and Wellinthon’s real-life nuptials, the book is a heartwarming celebration of love, family, and tradition. The brothers witness the deep love
and happiness between their two tíos, stepping into their important role in the celebration.
OutClique recently sat down with Ross and Wellinthon to talk more about Tío & Tío, how their love story shaped the narrative, and why representation in children’s literature is more important now than ever.
Denny Patterson: Hello! Thank you both for taking some time to chat with me about your new book, Tío and Tío: The Ring Bearers. This is such a sweet and important story. What inspired you to write a children’s book together, and why this story in particular?
Ross Mathews: Thank you, for starters. It is the sweetest story, and it’s based on our life. We got married in 2022, and although your wedding day is kind of a selfish day and you get caught up in yourself, something happened that really struck us, and it was something Wellinthon witnessed.
Wellinthon García-Mathews: I noticed my nephews, who were the ring bearers, they were very, very nervous. It was to the point where their dad was literally practicing with them and saying this is how you walk, this is how you hold the rings, this is how it’s done. They were freaking out, but in a sweet, innocent way because they genuinely wanted to do a great job and not mess up.
Ross Mathews: And that was so beautiful and touching, but also a reminder that a wedding is really about showing up. Something that’s so universal that we all want is that we all want to matter. We all want to contribute in some way, and I thought, what a great lesson these kids are learning this young. Even though they’re just kids, they are so important to the day. They matter to our wedding, and they understood that responsibility. They took it very seriously. Wellinthon’s an educator, and I was like, there’s a great takeaway here. So, we started playing with it, writing, and as I was doing my storytelling thing that I know how to do, Wellinthon came in and was like, you’re leaving so much out. There’s so much meat on the bone where you could write it in a way that would elicit a call and response in the classroom, or a place to pause when you’re teaching kids to have a conversation.
Wellinthon García-Mathews: Just the level of rigor that elevated the story, so that way, teachers can have many lessons, talking points, and big takeaways for them in the class. I even infused some science in there as well, just that it crosses disciplines.
Ross Mathews: It was so impressive to watch him use his expertise as we were doing this together. I learned a ton from him about how you write for children.
Wellinthon García-Mathews: I learned a lot about puns [laughs].
Denny Patterson: I love that there are so many nuggets to this. What were your nephews’ reactions when you told them you were doing this book?
Ross Mathews: We didn’t tell them. We asked them first. We got this idea and explained it to them, because they could have shut it down. They’re sort of the CEO, but they didn’t. They thought it would be cool. When we gave them the first draft of the book, we said, if you have any notes, let us know. When they showed up at our house the next week, they had the whole book printed out with dubious notes! We started laughing, but page by page, we went through and addressed every single one of their notes. If this book was about them, they had to have their fingerprints all over it.
Wellinthon García-Mathews: We purposely wrote it from their perspective, so we wanted to make sure they were the main characters. We wanted to make sure that they were the stars, that they were getting the spotlight. It just so happened to be at our wedding. It was important to us to have their voice rather than us writing it for them.
Denny Patterson: Why do you think it’s so important for kids, especially queer kids and kids from LGBTQ+ families, to see stories like Tío & Tío on bookshelves, and how do you hope it shapes conversations about modern families?
Ross Mathews: Well, I think the book’s for everyone. At its essence, it’s just a story about responsibility, mattering, and wanting to contribute to your family. I think that is so universal. I love that it’s set at our wedding, which happened to be a same-sex wedding because we’re flaming homosexuals [laughs]. What I also love about this, and it’s indicative of how far we’ve come, is that this book doesn’t have a political agenda. It’s as universal as stories get, and I dare anybody who thinks that this book wouldn’t be for them or they couldn’t relate to it to read it. I promise you would find yourself in these pages.
Wellinthon García-Mathews: I also use the whole concept of windows and mirrors, so it was important for me to ensure that. This was a mirror for my nephews, so that they can finally pick up a book and see themselves in it, and also a window to other people’s lives. You might not have family members who are going to a same-sex wedding, but you can relate to the fact that you have responsibilities.
Denny Patterson: How has the audience response been so far?
Ross Mathews: Wonderful! Our favorite review was from Kirkus Reviews, and they said, ‘pure dulce.’ That is the perfect description because the book is so sweet, and the reason is because the experience was so sweet. We never thought we’d be able to get married. It wasn’t an item on the buffet when we were kids, so it wasn’t even a dream that we had. The fact that we could get married was already frosting on frosting in terms of better than we ever dreamed, but having everybody there was so touching, and then seeing the boys get so serious, all that sweetness is captured.
Denny Patterson: What does it personally mean to each of you to now be able to say you’re children’s book authors?
Wellinthon García-Mathews: For me, it was a dream come true. As an educator who’s been in the field for over 20 years, this is something that I’ve always aspired to do, and it’s mind blowing that it’s now real.
Ross Mathews: I love that we did this together because it has been a dream of Wellinthon’s for so long, and getting to see him do what he does is so inspiring. I don’t have kids, and I don’t want to brag, but I was a kid for, like, 18 years, so I know a thing or two about it [laughs]. I say that jokingly, but I never thought that I would write a children’s book. I’ve written a couple other books and I’m always creating, but this was a unique and fun challenge to do. I loved every part of it. Having a sweet story with complex messages, the illustration part of it, and literally seeing the vision come to life. The literal picture that it paints for the reader. It’s a very different art form and experience than writing a novel or an autobiography, and I loved it.
Denny Patterson: Is there a particular children’s book you each loved growing up that inspired you in any way or that you wish had existed?
Ross Mathews: There’s a book called Julián Is a Mermaid, which I gave to RuPaul a few years ago, and Ru loved it. What I love about that book, too, is that it’s about a simple idea of being who you were, but the most simple ideas can be very profound. When you look at it from adulthood, and I think our book echoes that, it’s a very simple book, but when you look at it from our vantage point, the message is powerful. Children’s books do that better than any other medium.
Wellinthon García-Mathews: As an educator, I’m always reading children’s books, and one of my favorite authors is Mo Willems. The whole pigeon driving the bus is hilarious to me, and how he has all these different characters. So, for me, it was more like mimicking a lot of the things that I know are good practices in the field of education and understanding how to capture a first grader’s attention for more than 10 seconds. That was the catalyst that kind of started it all.
Denny Patterson: I love that your adorable rescue chihuahua, Audrey, also makes an appearance in the book!
Ross Mathews: Oh my God, I love that you mentioned Audrey! Yes, she’s in the section where we thank everybody. Audrey is our little queen, the jewel in our crown. If she didn’t get a mention, we would never hear the end of it.
Denny Patterson: Do you see Tío & Tío possibly becoming a series?
Ross Mathews: We love getting that question because there’s talk about that, and we would be so excited to do it. We’re learning from our nephews in real life and laughing with them every week, so there are definitely tales to be told.
Denny Patterson: What advice would you give to LGBTQ+ couples and families looking to see themselves more in the media and literature?
Ross Mathews: I would encourage people to tell their stories. I understand that not everybody can write and publish a children’s book, but tell your stories at dinner with friends or other people. The more we show the world that we’re just human beings with beating hearts who want to be loved, the more I think the door of acceptance opens.
Wellinthon García-Mathews: I agree. Always being authentic is the best medicine to truly ensure that your voice is being heard. Keep it real.
Stay up-to-date with Ross and Wellinthon by following them on social media @helloross and @drgarciamathews. Tío & Tío is available to purchase online and at all major book retailers.
