When mom-of-two Clothilde Ewing was looking for books for her children eight years ago, she was disappointed by the lack of selection. So she decided to do something about it —write one herself, People reports.
“It wasn’t easy to find books with leading Black characters that were just books about kids being kids,” Ewing told the magazine. “My kids are imaginative, they are joyful. They’re like any other kids. It’s as important that they see books with kids that look like them outside playing hopscotch or enjoying a popsicle.”
In 2018, Ewing found herself moved by an essay in The New York Times written by Denene Millner titled “Black Kids Don’t Want to Read About Harriet Tubman All the Time.” The essay explores how some children books on the market featuring Black characters are about “the civil rights movement, slavery, basketball players and musicians, and various ‘firsts.'” They paint a picture of Blackness that’s all about surviving the struggle and making sacrifices to propel the community forward.
“I found a voice to what troubled me in my earlier attempt to curate an at-home library for my children,” Ewing writes of her experience reading the essay. She said Millner’s eloquence felt like “a call to action,” one she felt the need to respond to.
Ewing said that she eventually sent an email to family and friends to share that she was going to write her own children’s book. One for her children that would help them celebrate their joy.
That book, titled Stella Keeps the Sun Up, was published at the beginning of the month. The main character, Stella, is named after Ewing’s 7-year-old, and her mission is to stop the sun from setting. With the help of her sidekick Roger, a blue stuffed hippo, Stella sets on a quest to try and avoid bedtime.
“I wanted Stella to have a beautiful brown skin tone and I wanted to make sure her hair looked like my daughter’s hair, that it had texture. And that she was colorful and exuded joy,” she said.
After seeing illustrator Lynn Gaines’ drawing, it made the author emotional.
“I almost cried,” she said. “It was so spot-on.”
According to People, publisher Simon & Schuster has already contracted with Ewing for a second book. The next book will follow Stella and Roger as they try to find a lost tooth.
Stella Keeps the Sun Up is available for purchase on Amazon for $16.19.
