ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
PRESCHOOL
Nyong'o, Lupita

Sulwe

48 pp. | Simon | October, 2019 | Trade ISBN 978-1-5344-2536-1 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-5344-2537-8
(2) PS Illustrated by Vashti Harrison. In a story partially based on the author's childhood in Kenya, "Sulwe was born the color of midnight." So begins a journey to self-love for a little girl whose name means "star" and who, because of her dark skin, does not feel beautiful. At school she is treated differently from her lighter-complexioned sister, who is given nicknames such as "Sunshine," "Ray," and "Beauty," while Sulwe is hurtfully called "Blackie," "Darky," and "Night." Desperately attempting to make herself lighter, the despondent girl tries to remove "a layer or two of her darkness" with an eraser, eats only light-colored foods, and offers fervent prayers to God, but nothing works. Then one night a visit from a shooting star changes everything. Swooped up into the cosmos, Sulwe learns about two sisters, Night and Day, from "the beginning of Time." Through the allegorical tale the star tells her (unfolding over much of the book), Sulwe comes to understand that her ebony skin is beautiful and that darkness and light are equally necessary to the universe. Glowing illustrations capture the beauty of both light and dark; Nyong'o's text is clear and engaging. An author's note expresses the hope that "more and more children begin their lives knowing that they are beautiful."
Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020

RELATED 

PRESCHOOL

The Farmer and the Circus
by Frazee, Marla
PRESCHOOL

Bird House
by Gómez, Blanca
PRESCHOOL

The Crow and the Peacock
by Fernihough, Jo
PRESCHOOL

Something's Wrong!
by John, Jory
PRESCHOOL

Grandpa Across the Ocean
by Yum, Hyewon
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?