The Light She Feels Inside

Maya has something special – a glow that pushes her to create a brighter world. By learning about Black women throughout history, Maya is inspired by their glowing feelings of love, anger, and justice to change the world for the better!

Maya feels two types of glowing—a warm glow when she picks strawberries in the community garden or hears music in her neighborhood, and a different kind of glow when she gets pushed down on the playground or sees her favorite cousin get stopped by the police. Sometimes that glowing seems like too much to carry…

But then Maya learns that others feel the same light she does—Black women like Ida B. Wells, Nina Simone, and Maya’s own ancestors—and they always found ways to honor their glow. They were all guided by their light to make a difference, so Maya decides to share her own light and work toward a brighter world.

GWENDOLYN WALLACE Gwendolyn Wallace was born and raised in Connecticut and graduated in 2021 from Yale University. Her first picture book, Joy Takes Root, is forthcoming June 2023. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public history from University College London.

OLIVIA DUCHESS studied Graphic Communication and Design at the University of Leeds and now illustrates books for children. She lives in London.