Photo by: Robert Smith/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Tiffany Haddish is courting a new audience: kids!
“Layla and the Last Black Unicorn,” the comedian’s debut children’s book, was launched on May 17th and the book follows a little Black unicorn named Layla through her first year at school.
“She has her issues fitting into this whole new world,” Haddish reveals in an interview with PEOPLE.
She added, “but in trying to be something she’s not, she realizes, I can just be myself — and it pays off to be who you are.”
Source: Robert Smith / Getty
Haddish was inspired to create her first children’s book while hosting the TV show Kids Say the Darndest Things, which helped her become a New York Times best-selling author with her memoir The Last Black Unicorn.
At that moment, she discovered she had a natural affinity with youngsters at that point.
“I never thought I would appeal to the kids like that,” she said. “But it turns out they really get me. And then I realized, hey, I’m a big kid, too.”
Haddish discussed the value of imagination and how reading allows us to see ourselves in other people’s stories.
“I think it’s so important to play make-believe,” she discussed. “And to be able to tell your story through another character’s eyes – through someone else’s life – is really awesome. That’s why I created Layla, the last Black unicorn.”
Photo by: CBS Photo Archive / Getty
Haddish describes herself as “the last Black unicorn,” which is reflected in both of her books’ titles. Layla was a pleasant surprise. The 42-year-old says, “I’ve always loved the name, Layla.”
She continued.: “And it means dark, it means beautiful night.”
The comedian shares the hopes that she wants to achieve with her latest book.
“I hope that kids share it with each other and trace the pictures and retell the story over and over in their own way,” Haddish said. “I hope parents are able to have great conversations with their kids and maybe bring up certain things like, ‘Would Layla do that? How would Layla want to do that?’” she said. “I would love for something like that to happen.”
Photo by: Eric McCandless / Getty
Haddish also updates her plans to adopt her own kid, revealing that she has completed the parenting lessons required by many adoption agencies.
She continued.
“I’m gonna ask for the ones that don’t get adopted,” she says. “That’s who I want to look out for – ’cause I know what it feels like to feel like nobody wants you. And that’s the worst. That’s a whole other book.”
Will you be picking up the children’s book?
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