Lupita’s new book Sulwe hits online stores

Sulwe, the book by award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, has made its debut in the U.S.

A spot check on Amazon shows that the book is retailing at Ksh. 1,305 ($12.59).

“I drew a lot from my childhood to write Sulwe but thanks to illustrator extraordinaire Vashti Harrison, Sulwe and I have something else in common too: Nairobi Blue! Vashti chose to put her in a dress color similar to the one I wore to my first Oscars,” she said.

Sulwe is the main character in the book that talks about colourism and self-esteem.

Lupita intimated that as a little girl, she read books about people who looked nothing like her.

She opined that colourism, discrimination or prejudice against individuals with a dark skin tone, is ‘alive and well’.

According to her, it is not just prejudice reserved for places with a largely white population but throughout the world.

“…even in Kenya, even today, there is a popular sentiment that lighter is brighter,” she said.

The actress notes that Sulwe celebrates dark skin, enabling her to hold up ‘a mirror’ that she did not have when growing up.

A report in the Guardian newspaper said Lupita is one of the two high profile black women, who speak candidly about not having experienced racism until she went to the U.S.

Lupita described colourism as the daughter of racism.

During an interview on BBC’s Newsnight show, the actress intimated that when she was a young girl, she wished her skin was different in “a world that rewards lighter skin over darker skin”.

Her younger sister had a lighter skin tone and was reportedly called “beautiful” and “pretty”.

“The book (Sulwe) creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty,” Amazon said in its description of the book.

“Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything,” Amazon adds.