Sulwe
What's Sulwe About
From Academy Award–winning actress Lupita Nyong’o comes a powerful, moving picture book about colorism, self-esteem, and learning that true beauty comes from within. Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything. In this stunning debut picture book, actress Lupita Nyong’o creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty.
What Kind of Book is Sulwe
Genres
Locations
Race, Ethnicities, & Nationalities
What Questions Should I Ask My Child
- Sulwe felt alone because of how she looked, and it made her feel like she wasn't good enough. Have you ever had similar feelings, where you felt like you didn't fit in or weren't good enough? How can you, like Sulwe, appreciate who yourself for who you are?
- As the shooting star shares, Night and Day are both needed to make the world strong and beautiful. Do you know people who look different, have different cultures, or have different talents? How do all of your differences make the world beautiful and strong?
Reviews
"After learning how Night and Day are both needed, Sulwe knows that she is “dark and beautiful, bright and strong.” Harrison’s glossy illustrations faithfully render the features of black people, allowing the beauty of different skin tones to shine, with deep purple tones in the darkness, reinforcing the story’s message."
"Though a bit uneven in its storytelling, this beautiful book covers an important topic rarely addressed for young audiences, with tenderness and joy. Sure to gain attention in picture book collections."
"By turns beguiling . . . and magical . . . the volume also clearly conveys that colorism is real, and it hurts. Sulwe’s story confronts it head-on . . ."
Book Lists That Include Sulwe
The Creatives Behind the Book
Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan actress and producer. Her first feature film role was in the film 12 Years a Slave, for which she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as multiple accolades, including the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Critics’ Choice Award, the Independent Spirit Award, and the NAACP Award. She has since starred in Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ryan Coogler’s record-breaking box office hit Black Panther, and most recently in Jordan’s Peele’s critically acclaimed horror film Us. Nyong’o earned a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut in Danai Gurira’s play Eclipsed. She lives in Brooklyn.
Vashti Harrison is the author-illustrator of the New York Times bestselling picture book Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, which is also a NAACP Image Award winner. She earned her BA from the University of Virginia with a double major in Media Studies and Studio Art, and received her MFA in Film and Video from CalArts where she snuck into Animation classes to learn from Disney and Dreamworks legends. There she rekindled a love for drawing and painting. Now, utilizing both skill sets, she is passionate about crafting beautiful stories in both the film and picture book worlds.
Awards Given to Sulwe
What Has Vashti Harrison Said About This Book
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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9781534425361
- Publication Date
- October 15, 2019
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Text Details
- The text for this book was set in Young Finesse 9.
- Illustration Details
- The illustrations for this book were rendered using Adobe Photoshop.
- Page Count
- 48
- Words Per Page
- 18
- Audience
- Picture
- Reading Age
- 4 - 8 years
- Lib. of Congress (LCCN)
- 2018029563
- WorldCat Number (OCLC)
- 1131725311
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