The moving story speaks to colorism, self-esteem, and the realization that true beauty lies within.
The book’s main character has skin as dark as midnight, making her darker than everyone in her family and her school. Sulwe just desires to be beautiful and radiant like her mother and sister. Then, an extraordinary night sky adventure unlocks her eyes to a newfound perspective.
This wonderful inaugural picture book, created by actress Lupita Nyong’o, serves as a source of inspiration to young children to recognize and embrace their individual beauty. The main character’s name originates from Luo, which is Nyong’o’s mother tongue, and features a captivating illustration of girls playing a classic Kenyan game known as kati.
Sulwe, the narrative of a young black girl and her journey with colorism and self-esteem, was derived from Nyong’o’s own personal story as a dark-skinned girl growing up. Since lighter skin was prioritized over darker skin, Nyong’o received ridicule for her complexion in contrast to her sister’s compliments for her beauty. It is because of these encounters with colorism throughout her life that she penned this story to honor the difficulties that dark-skinned black girls endure in a society still upholding Eurocentric beauty standards.
Lupita Nyong’o is a celebrated Kenyan actress and producer. She achieved acclaim in her debut feature film role in 12 Years a Slave and consequently won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and various other accolades. Her further acting credits include Queen of Katwe, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Black Panther, and Us. Additionally, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her Broadway debut in Eclipsed. Nyong’o currently resides in Brooklyn.
Reading is an incredibly important part of learning and expanding your mind, even starting at a young age. By exposing yourself to new ideas, stories, and opinions, you are able to gain knowledge and understanding that is invaluable. Reading helps to build critical thinking skills and encourages creativity.
At a young age, reading helps to develop essential language and comprehension skills. Reading can also help to build a child’s self–confidence and self–esteem. As a child reads more and more, they are able to discover new interests and explore different topics of interest. This can lead to further exploration and the discovery of new passions.
As a person grows older, reading can help to keep the mind sharp and stay informed about the world. It‘s a great way to explore topics of interest and gain knowledge and understanding of various topics.
It is also a great way to take a break from the stress of everyday life. Reading is an invaluable tool for learning and expanding the mind. It is important to make time to read, even at a young age, as the benefits are endless.
We recently came up with a list of books you should consider reading for the upcoming year.
Grab your copy of Sulwe here.
