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This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Nyasha Williams and Sidney Rose McCall. All opinions are my own.
Book Information
Once Upon a Kwanzaa
Written by Nyasha Williams and Sidney Rose McCall Illustrated by Sawyer Cloud Ages 4-6 | 32 Pages Publisher: Running Press Kids (2025) | ISBN-13: 978-0762487356 Publisher’s Book Summary: A celebration of the beauty, power, and faith of the African-American community as reflected in the principles of Kwanzaa, by the author of I Affirm Me: The ABCs of Inspiration for Black Kids. Kwanzaa is a holiday steeped in ancestral traditions collected over generations of people across the Black Diaspora. Once Upon a Kwanzaa introduces communities of all colors to the interwoven history and lived experiences connected to this time of year when families and loved ones gather to celebrate, share, and reimagine the past, present, and future. Sawyer Cloud’s stunning artwork showcases seven different BIPOC families and highlights how different peoples of the Diaspora can celebrate in their communities, from setting the table and lighting the Kinara to sharing meals and gathering at events. The book includes a glossary and pronunciation guide. Author Interview
Where did you get the inspiration for Once Upon a Kwanzaa?
Nyasha: The inspiration really came from a personal place and a need we saw in the broader literary landscape. Sidney and I were both starting to center Kwanzaa more intentionally in our lives. For me, it was a complete transition for my husband and me, from celebrating Christmas to celebrating Kwanzaa and that shift opened up so much curiosity, joy, and reflection. We wanted to create something that families could have during Kwanzaa that really solidifies the central points of the holiday. There are so many books for other holidays, especially Christian holidays, that center them fully in families’ celebrations. We felt there was room for Kwanzaa to have its spotlight, and for children and adults to understand the principles and bring them into everyday life, beyond just one week of celebration. Sidney: Once Upon a Kwanzaa grew out of many of the potentials of cultural holidays serving as vehicles and entry points for folks looking to gather in more community-minded ways. Just as Juneteenth offered people lessons on the histories of slavery, abolition, and freedom, Kwanzaa held the possibility of teaching everyone, especially our youngest readers, how to build up their communities through the holiday’s seven principles. Pushing beyond Judeo-Christian holidays and secular feast days – that often, intentionally and unintentionally, conceal much deeper, troubled histories – allowed for us to open Kwanzaa up to a broader community that, regardless of faith or culture, could find ways to incorporate the holiday into their seasonal gatherings and everyday practices. What was your writing process like for this book? Nyasha: The writing process for Once Upon a Kwanzaa was deeply collaborative and intentional. Sidney and I spent a lot of time thinking about how to honor the principles of Kwanzaa while making them accessible and engaging for children and families. We wanted the text to celebrate the holiday, its histories, and its Ancestral wisdom, to feel both warm and inviting while practical in guidance. It involved weaving together story and imagery in a way that could resonate on multiple levels, whether for a young child hearing it for the first time, or an adult looking to deepen their understanding of the holiday. We were very deliberate in making something that allows families to experience the joy, reflection, and connection that Kwanzaa offers. Sidney: Working on Once Upon a Kwanzaa felt like coming home in so many ways. From the character descriptions (and back stories) to the flow of words, everything felt like a collaboration in the truest sense of the word. While we initially started this project out as a singular story to introduce families and communities to the wintering holiday and expand the lens of cultural and historical practices of the Black Diaspora, Kwanzaa, as so often happens, demanded we dig deeper. The more we explored the principles, the more we came to realize that Kwanzaa, as a living depository of knowledge, memory, and history, could not be contained by seven days. Kwanzaa became an everyday mantra of miracles and magic; a creative landscape where young folks could take lessons from the past to reimagine the future; a journey for grown folks to sojourn and recover recipes of resistance and community building. Kwanzaa became more than a holiday. Kwanzaa transformed into an everyday thing — a portal to the past, and a promise for the future. What is your favorite part about writing books for kids? Nyasha: First, I’ll say that I don’t just write books for kids, I write picture books or illustrated stories that can be accessed wherever someone is on their journey. I truly believe that everyone has something to receive from the magic of picture books. My favorite part about writing for the community is helping people open their minds in relation to dreaming, dreaming beyond what currently exists. I love creating space for readers to expand their own perspectives, gaze, and lenses, to evolve and grow, and to tap into their own creativity. My work is meant to be a stepping stone, sparking imagination and inspiring others to envision what’s possible beyond my initial ideas. Sidney: Hmmm. I generally do not think of the stories I write and workshop based on their age classifications of readership. Rather, I like to visualise my works, especially ones where I have young readers in mind, as a pebble dropped in a pond. Pebbles might be small, but they have the potential to create powerful ripples with time and reach depths that make us search, recover, and reimagine ourselves and our world. Some of my earliest memories belong to the books I read as a child. Even when the books were not “children’s books” or the subjects were still fuzzy and forming in my developing mind, the words and illustrations continued to reach me and the ripples they inspired moved me to dream, change, and transform. That potential is what I hope to drop and deepen in all my stories – even when the conclusions do not bring forth solutions, their impact will serve as an encounter and entry point for young (and grown) readers to be amazed, moved, changed, transformed, and inspired. What are you working on now? Nyasha: Honestly, a little bit of everything I love! I’m expanding Once Upon a Kwanzaa with lesson plans with Sidney so people can really dig into the principles. Sidney and I are playing with the creation of a Kwanzaa countdown or advent calendar for those who celebrate. I'm also working on graphic novels, middle-grade stories, and screenplays. On top of that, I’m growing my publishing company, Fire + Honey, and building community spaces rooted in Ancestral wisdom and liberation. It’s all about sparking imagination, connection, and helping people see what’s possible. Sidney: Along with my history degree, I am working on an afrofuturism-fantasy epic alongside a children’s illustrated collection inspired by the works and wonders of Leo and Diane Dillon, Hayao Miyazaki, Mary Pope Osborne, and Dr. Margaret Musgrove. With Nyasha, I am building out Once Upon a Kwanzaa with lesson plans for students, grown folks, and community members to immerse their everyday practices in the principles of Kwanzaa. I am also expanding my education platform from my Patreon (www.patreon.com/uprootedgarden) to more accessible video and audio formats (so keep an eye on your YouTube recommendations for future upRooted history lessons~) What is your favorite book? Nyasha: Oh, I have so many favorites! For picture books, I love The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith; Safe Crossing by Kari Percival; and The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith. For novels, I’m drawn to Jambalaya by Luisah Teish, 78 Acts of Liberation: Tarot to Transform Our World by Lane Smith, Habibi by Craig Thompson; and Root Magic by Eden Royce. So, clearly, I have a focus in social justice, folklore, and spirituality, and I love characters who, through creativity, magic, or courage, use their gifts to transform our world. Sidney: An excellent question (and a near impossible one!) If I had to think back to the books of my childhood, I will always have a soft spot for Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series and L. Frank Baum’s Oz books that nurtured my love of historical and fantastical worlds pressed on the pages. I still return to my collection of American Girl books, especially Connie Porter’s Addy series. Some of my favorite books now include Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, Ntozake Shange’s Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust. I hold to the dream that works which weave history, memory, magic, resilience, and community together reveal visions from the future/past that feed our souls, grow our minds, and inspire our hands (and hearts) to change the world. Giveaway
Enter for the chance to win one of five hardcover copies of Once Upon a Kwanzaa! One grand prize winner will receive the book plus a complete Kwanzaa Celebration Kit—featuring a Kwanzaa Advent, Kinara, and ceremonial candles—to honor your family’s heritage and create meaningful traditions.
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