''Sulwe'' is a children's fiction picture book by actress Lupita Nyong'o. It follows the story of a young girl who wishes for her dark

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...

to be lighter. The story is ultimately about

colorism Discrimination based on skin color, also known as colorism, or shadeism, is a form of prejudice and/or discrimination in which people who share similar ethnicity traits or perceived race are treated differently based on the social implications th ...

and learning to love oneself, no matter one's skin tone. In 2020, the Kiswahili and Dholuo translations were made available in East Africa through Kenyan publishing firm Bunk Books.

Synopsis

Sulwe has the darkest skin in her family and in her school. She wishes for her skin to be lighter, but through a supernatural experience, she comes to love her dark skin color.

In media

Film adaptation

In February 2021,

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

announced an animated musical film adaptation based on the book.

References

2019 children's books Simon & Schuster books American picture books Children's books adapted into films Children's books about race and ethnicity {{Child-book-stub