Sunne's Gift: Overcoming Bullying to Appreciate Our Gifts

We had the great pleasure of reading "Sunne's Gift" by Ama KariKari Yawson.  The story took us through the journey of Sunne, a magical being (Magbee) with beautiful hair.  Sunne is bullied for the glorious hair gifted by Nyame at the beginning of time.  The other Magbees wonder why Sunne had such different and beautiful hair. They begin to bully Sunne but realize that each of their gifts are connected and dependent upon each other.  Eventually Sunne must work through the bullying from the other Magbees to fully appreciate Nyame's intentions.  In the end, all the Magbees learn that: "You are all equal in power but distinct in your gifts. Never destroy your own gift because you covet someone else's".

Bullying is not a subject we take lightly in our home.  In fact, we talk about it often: What can we do to eliminate feelings of inadequacy? What makes us special? Why would someone be motivated to attack our special qualities? How can we empower each other to appreciate the beauty in us? Who are our allies in situations that make us feel inadequate or uncomfortable?

Like Sunne, Big Sister has had to work through her own journey to appreciating her hair that is different from her classmates.  She was touched that this story's protagonist came to the same conclusion that she did... each of us is different for a reason. 

​I really appreciate how beautifully this book addressed the power that each of us was given at birth; that our gifts are all interconnected; and that each of us has a purpose in life.  In a world where all of us are endowed with wonderful and special qualities, it's important for parents to use books such as Sunne's Gift to further reiterate the importance of self love and confidence with one's personal identity.  You can purchase "Sunne's Gift" on Amazon.

"Do you promise to nurture your gifts?"  Take the pledge at MilesTales.com!

Read more about how we dealt with bullying and our hair:
The One-Sided Game
Black Girl Problems: Don't Touch My Hair
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