The Fairview Review: Virtual Book Tour Once Upon a Kwanzaa

ABOUT THE BOOK

Written by Nyasha Williams and Sidney Rose McCall

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.

PURCHASE LINK

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MY REVIEW

Vignettes of families of diverse racial backgrounds and family structures fill the opening spread of the book. Some are placing candles in the kinara, some are shopping or unpacking decorations, others are welcoming relatives who have come to share the holiday. Each scene is filled with warmth and cooperation. Rhyming text introduces readers to important elements of Kwanzaa like the Nguzo Saba, the guiding principles which the holiday focuses on each day, and the kikombe cha umoja or cup of unity. The families from those opening illustrations appear on the pages as they decorate the table, play drums, or create handmade gifts - zawadi.

I study Kwanzaa with my students each year as part of a unit on winter holidays around the world. The kiddos enjoy learning the Swahili terms for the guiding principles and hearing about how the holiday may be celebrated in different homes or communities. They compare some of the activities to those associated with holidays their own families observe - weaving placemats for Thanksgiving dinner rather than creating an mkeka for the Kwanzaa table, for example.

This book does a wonderful job of showing how wide the range of people who celebrate Kwanzaa actually is and how the holiday can be shared with friends, family, and community. The introduction of the Swahili words within the text is supported by a glossary in the back with both definitions and pronunciation help. I will be using this book in my classes this year and it would be a great purchase for other teachers or for families planning their own Kwanzaa gatherings or interested in learning about other holiday customs.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Nyasha Williams grew up living intermittently between the United States and South Africa. As a kindergarten teacher, she was inspired to continue work as an author, creator, and activist after reading her first book to her class when one of her Black students told her that mermaids could not be Black. Williams kickstarted her first picture book, What’s the Commotion in the Ocean, starring a Black mermaid who spreads a message of marine conservation. She is the author of four picture books with Running Press Kids, including the bestselling I Affirm Me, and is the author of RP Studio’s Black Tarot, as well as a board book series with Harpercollins.

For more information, check out nyashawilliams.online and nyashawilliams.substack.com

https://www.instagram.com/writingtochangethenarrative/

Sidney Rose McCall is an historian and community intellectual who combines her academic work with her activism. Though the pandemic saw her complete her Masters in Applied Social Science far from the classroom, she turned her eyes to the community, building a platform through Patreon where she continues to share decolonized history lessons and virtual discussions. She also joined the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. as a student-docent at the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts and now serves as a member of their Academic Committee for the ZORA! Festival of the Arts and Humanities. Ms. McCall hopes to work alongside community bridge builders to bring integrative stories into our creative spaces of resilience and resistance.

For more information, check out linktr.ee/Rosecolored_Scholar

https://www.instagram.com/neighborhood_historian/

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Sawyer Cloud is a freelance artist from Madagascar. Her passion for kids’ literature pushed her to turn it into a living. Sawyer loves sunny days and music. She dreams of owning a small cottage and traveling the world. She still lives in her native country, Madagascar, with her family and her two pets, Arya the dog and Potter the cat.

For more information, check out sawyer.cloud

https://www.instagram.com/sawyercloud01/

TOUR SCHEDULE

Friday, October 3, 2025

The Children’s Book Review

Book Review of Once Upon a Kwanzaa

Monday, October 6, 2025

The Starlit Path

Book Review of Once Upon a Kwanzaa

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

icefairy’s Treasure Chest

Book Review of Once Upon a Kwanzaa