Her first notable work was the title Big, in which she authored and illustrated. Ms. Harrison has won various literary awards (2024 Caldecott Medal, Corretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator Honor, National Book Award finalist)

Is multi-racial (African-American and Indian)

Went to the University of Virginia

Has her Bachelor's and Masters

Key Themes: Self-confidence, father/daughter relationships, diversity

Literary/Artistic Choices: Transformed from the short film of the same name. The use of the colors blue and yellow shows calmness and wants the focus to be on the story of a father and daughter. Also, Harrison uses pastel colors to reflect the main character Zhuri's girlishness.

Why it matters: For young Black girls, our hair is a source of ridicule and challenge. We are looked at as looking unkept and not presentable. For special events, we plan around our hairstyles. I wish I had had this book when I was younger because my hair was a chance for other girls to bully me.

Key themes: Self-perception, balance, and equality

Literary/Artistic Choices: Using the metaphors day and night to describe that each is beautiful in its own right. Using dark and saturated colors shows that the main character, Sulwe, is dark and wants to emphasize her beautiful ebony skin. Lightness is preferred over dark, whether that is in skin color or the sky, but both are beautiful.

Why it matters: Similar to Hair Love, Black people are ridiculed for their skin color. Colorism is a real issue in the Black community because darker skin is considered ugly or unpleasant. While lighter skin is considered beautiful and associated with whiteness. Children learn this tactic by comparing skin colors because they hear the language repeated by adults. For example, she is so dark you can't see her teeth!

Key Themes: Emotions, adultification of children, and words

Literary/Artistic Choices: As the book goes on, the main character outgrows her environment. That shows how the uses people use are affecting her so much that she can't handle it. Since she is a big girl that she has to grow up faster than other girls her age. She has to manage her emotions and become smaller.

The use of pink to make the focus of the main character. Usually pink is associated with girly and happy, but not in this case. Also, using muted colors such as sienna to show emotion and how that affects the main character.

Why It Matters: Words are harmful whether they come from peers or people close to you. It's how you deal with it and not shrink yourself to make others feel better. You need to feel that for yourself!

Character Types: Young, Black girls with various problems and issues, ranging from feeling beautiful about their hair, skin color, and feelings

Social Issues: Colorism, hair policing, and the angry Black girl/woman troupe

Typography: Harrison uses a variety of curisve and print on the cover. The inside of the book uses conventional print that is easy to read for both young and adults alike.

Layout: Vashti has the person of focus in the middle, and then surrounding them, she has little illustrations.

Meaning: She wants the reader to match what the person does to the illustration (stars and moon for space, books/library for Maya Angelou, and so on. These women were the leaders and forewomen in their field and should be regarded as such.

Meaning: This series of books shows that girls of color enjoy going outside and exploring the outdoors like everyone else. You do not see this type of representation in other books.

*Received this information from Amazon and could not copy/paste pages since it is copyrighted material.

Endpapers: Have bright colors that blend into one another. Which could be patterned. It could represent the colors or dye that is thrown during the celebration of Holi.

Title Page: Has the same font and style as the front cover, but instead of the two characters wearing white, they are wearing normal clothes, carrying a basket of some sort.

Meaning: For certain people, the holiday of Holi is sacred and important. It is not just throwing colored dye at each other to make a mess. It is a celebration of Spring and renewal.

*Received this information from Amazon and could not copy/paste pages because it was copyrighted material.

I want my students to know that it is okay to be exposed to people of other cultures who have done positive things. In this political climate, it is even more urgent. I wish I didn't have to hold the torch for this cause, but here we are. For this cause I will gladly do it even it causes me to educate in more ways than academically.

Bookcase, L. (2025, August 2). Reflecting diversity in children’s literature: A critical analysis of Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o. Medium. Retrieved October 26, 2025, from https://lisesbookcase.medium.com/reflecting-diversity-in-childrens-literature-a-critical-analysis-of-sulwe-by-lupita-nyong-o-d4213ac758b0

Children’s book ‘Big’ explores the impact words can have on young minds. (n.d.). Texas Standard. https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/big-childrens-book-vashti-harrison/

Shelf awareness for Wednesday, April 10, 2019. (n.d.). Shelf Awareness. https://shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3470#m43985

Spoor, N. (2020, April 15). Now on view: Vashti Harrison - Society6 blog. Society6 Blog. https://blog.society6.com/now-view-vashti-harrison/

Vasht. (n.d.). AALBC.com, the African American Literature Book Club. https://aalbc.com/authors/Vashti+Harrison

Vashti Harrison and Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. (2018, August 1). https://magazine.arts.virginia.edu/stories/vashti-harrison-and-little-leaders-bold-women-in-black-history