Sulwe

Sulwe, "born the color of midnight," has close-cropped hair and the darkest skin in her family. "Mama was the color of dawn, Baba the color of dusk, and Mich, her sister, was the color of high noon." When Sulwe's schoolmates call her names, she endeavors to lighten her skin, and even her mother's wisdom ("Brightness is not in your skin... Brightness is just who you are") cannot convince her of her inherent worth. A nested fable shows Sulwe what happens when Night and Day, two magnificent sisters, react to peoples' initial preference for Day's light. In frustration, Night retreats, taking dreams and secrets with her, until Day, and humankind, begin to miss Night: "we need you just the way you are." Though the fable strikes one odd note ("we need you so that we can... keep our secrets to ourselves"), the story draws its power from graceful prose by actress Nyong'o, making her authorial debut, and expertly executed animation-style art by Harrison (Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History). By turns beguiling (as when Sulwe's mother counsels her tearful daughter) and magical (a shooting star darts into Sulwe's room to share the story of Night and Day), the volume also clearly conveys that colorism is real, and it hurts. Sulwe's story confronts it head-on, with words and images that celebrate the "dark and beautiful, bright and strong." Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

PreS-Gr 2--A sweet story that discusses colorism and emphasizes self-love. In lyrical prose, actress-writer N'yongo tells the tale of young Sulwe, "born the color of midnight." Sulwe feels isolated from her lighter-skinned family, and from the children at school who call her racist names. She resorts to trying to lighten herself by wearing makeup, eating light foods, and even using an eraser to rub away her dark skin. Though her mother reassures Sulwe (whose name means 'star' in the Luo dialect) that she is beautiful and her brightness is internal, the young girl remains sad and skeptical. That night, she is taken on a journey by a shooting star and told the tale of Night and Day, two sisters who brought light and darkness to earth. Bullied for her darkness, Night disappears, leaving earth to suffer in perpetual sunlight. Eventually, Day brings her back, apologizing and assuring Night that she's exactly who she's meant to be. Sulwe wakes up from her nighttime adventure energized and confident, "dark and beautiful, bright and strong." Readers who are familiar with this experience will feel seen, while others will relate to feelings of being an outsider while learning about colorism. Harrison's art is captivating: warm golden tones blend flawlessly into rich, purple-hued night scenes, gorgeously accented with iridescent blues and galactic sprinkles of white. Youngsters who may miss parts of the lesson will remain enthralled with the artwork. VERDICT 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.--Ashleigh Williams, School Library Journal