Sulwe is a 2019 children's picture book written by actress Lupita Nyong'o and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. It tells the story of a young girl who wishes for her dark skin to be lighter. In 2020, the Kiswahili and Dholuo translations of the book were made available in East Africa through Kenyan publishing firm Bunk Books.
Synopsis Sulwe is a five-year-old Kenyan girl who has the darkest skin in her family and at her school. She wishes for her skin to be lighter, but through a supernatural experience, she comes to love her dark skin color.
Reception Sulwe became a number-one New York Times Best Seller and was selected for the 2020 Illustrator Honor at the Coretta Scott King Awards. It won the award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards, and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. It was also reviewed by School Library Journal. Sulwe was pulled from classrooms in the Central York School District of Pennsylvania in 2021 and from Duval Country, Florida in January 2022.
In media Year Outlet EpisodeOctober 8, 2019The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"Lupita Nyong'o Captures Her Struggle with Colorism in a Children's Book"October 8, 2019Newsnight"Lupita Nyong’o on Racism, Colourism, and Justin Trudeau"October 15, 2019Live with Kelly and Ryan"Lupita Nyong'o Talks About Her Children's Book, Sulwe"October 15, 2019Good Morning America"Lupita Nyong'o shares powerful story behind new children's book, Sulwe"September 1, 2020Netflix Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices"Lupita Nyong'o Reads Sulwe"
Film adaptation In 2021, Netflix announced an animated musical film adaptation based on Sulwe, with Nyong'o as a producer.
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