Monday, April 12, 2021

Book Nook: Tawny and Maya - Unique Me

 Sisters Kaya and Tuesday Holder have grown up and work in multicultural England. They value the strong bond of family. It was their close friendship that was a catalyst for this semi-autobiographical book.

 

It’s a message that is eliminated off every page of their new children’s book, ‘Tawny and Maya: Unique Me’.

 

Prepare for an adventure into sisterhood, as all readers learn to love themselves; especially how they’re different to others.

 

Synopsis:

 

It is a special day for Tawny and Maya as it's school photo day. Tawny is unhappy with her natural curly hair and struggles to style it herself. Can her big sister help? Find out how she begins to the see her beauty in her curls and herself. Written by authentic voices of Black British sisters Tuesday and Kaya Holder, this beautiful story is one of self-acceptance and demonstrates the power of positive affirmations. The two young sisters explore their unique hair experiences guided by their loving father.

 

Themes represented in this book include inspiring father daughter relationships, embracing individuality and diversity. This book is a must to add to all children's bookshelves as it details takeaway activities which evoke educational conversations plus several learning points, to help develop positive behaviours.

 

“Our aim was to create a story that had main characters that we could identify with as these stories were lacking for us as children,” explains Tuesday. “We wanted to create a positive and inclusive book to reflect modern families and stories which our young nephew could himself in. It was paramount that we created opportunities for further conversations around diversity and inclusion, identity and wellbeing.”

 

Continuing, Kaya adds “We want children and families of all backgrounds to enjoy this book, as well as our subsequent releases, as we work hard to spread a positive message. Our world has changed a lot over the last year, though we believe there is a way to go for children's literature, in fully endorsing diverse lead characters as well as promoting individuality. We’re going to be at its helm, teaching all children to be proud!”

 

‘Tawny and Maya: Unique Me’ is available now: https://amzn.to/38kwUWf.


 

 

About the Authors:

 

Tuesday Holder

Tuesday Holder is a compassionate and motivated registered adult nurse who takes pride in her

profession. In her free tim0e, she enjoys being creative, making candles and practicing floristry. Tuesday is embarking on a journey to discover Black British History alongside understanding her dual heritage of her maternal White & paternal Afro-Caribbean. Her voice is based on her life experience as a Black British Woman. Equality, diversity and inclusion are key issues she is passionate about.

 

Kaya Holder

Kaya Holder is a qualified teacher who taught at secondary level in both England & Japan for several years. Kaya has always been an avid reader and strongly believes diverse representation within the curriculum and media is paramount. She is an advocate of lifelong learning and cross-cultural exchange plus loves to travel the world. She now specialises in digital education and currently works in IT at a leading English University.

 

No comments:

Post a Comment