Sulwe - Lupita Nyong'o - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Lupita Nyong'o

ILLUSTRATOR: Vashti Harrison

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2019

RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A picture book focussing on colorism and self-acceptance. Poetic writing that might be a tad tricky for little readers. The storyline could have done better for me. But the outstanding illustrations saved the overall rating.

Plot Preview:

Little Sulwe was born "the colour of midnight". None of her other family members have the exact same skin tone as she does. After facing bullying and ostracism in school, Sulwe tries everything she can think of to lighten her skin, whether using the eraser on her skin or praying to God to be as bright and beautiful as her mother and her sister. But nothing works. One night, a special visitor comes to visit Sulwe after bedtime and takes her on a magical journey across the night sky.

I am not a big fan of the new trend of celebrities writing picture books, but some celebrities are special enough for me to ignore my bias and give their work a try. Lupita Nyong'o, an actress of Kenyan origin, is one of the most beautiful women in the world, inside and out. So when I heard that she wrote Sulwe inspired by her own childhood experience of colour discrimination, I HAD to give it a go. Plus, who can resist that adorable cutie on the cover!

The word “Sulwe” has a special meaning, explained in the book and once you know it, the magic of the story shines brighter.

The little story can be divided into three parts. The initial buildup, showing Sulwe’s background and her mental bias against her skin, are quite upsetting. I felt like hugging little Sulwe after seeing her struggle so hard. The depiction of bullying and name-calling is on the page, so this might go either way. Some children will get ideas of new names to tease their dark-skinned peers with, while others will see how hurtful such labels can be. It is up to the accompanying adult to ensure that the latter thought is more prominent in kids’ minds.

The second part takes a segue into fantasy, and goes into story-within-a-story mode. I feel this part is what will make or break the book for readers. Sulwe’s problem is a realistic one, so would you prefer the method by which she learns to accept herself to be based in reality or in fantasy? That is the decider. I would have preferred a more grounded resolution to Sulwe’s inner turmoil than a magical journey and a mythology-inspired fable. By itself, I mostly liked the nested story, with its fable-like magical feel. However, I didn’t like that there was no apology by anyone for the hurtful comments. It also isn’t right for someone to be wanted only for what they can provide.

The third section, where Sulwe accepts that she is beautiful as is, is barely a couple of pages long and the turnaround feels too abrupt. This is where my rating dipped the sharpest. I really would have liked a better exploration of the change in Sulwe’s thinking.

The book ends with the author’s note, which is poignant and heartfelt. I liked this even more than the story. It is sad that such a stunning woman also felt insecure about her skin tone because of others’ remarks.

The story is written in normal text, but the writing is quite poetic. Some of the lines are a bit on the longer side for a picture book. While they still work for readalouds, they could be too complex for younger readers.

The illustrations elevate the book to a whole other level. Every single page, whether in the earthly segments or the fantastical fable, is full of radiance. I loved the expressions on the characters’ faces, the vibrant colour scheme, and the twinkly stars dancing in the background of every page. I read online that Netflix has been planning an animated musical based on this book. I hope the animation matches the vivacity of the book illustrations.

Overall, this is quite a good read that misses the chance to be a must-read due to the abrupt ending. Regardless, it tackles an important issue and as such, it definitely ought to be read.

Definitely recommended. The official target age group is ages 4-8. The book would serve well as a bedtime read as well as for classroom discussions on racial sensitivity, colour discrimination, and body image issues.

This was a library read.