Captivating young readers and their parents, comedian, actress and New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Haddish read her new children’s book, Layla, the Last Black Unicorn, to an audience at Houston’s Heights Public Library.
Children sat cross-legged and giggled as Haddish animated each character’s voice, peppering the story with intermittent quips that brought the tale of Layla’s journey of self-acceptance to life.
“Reading is so important…you get more information,” Haddish told the audience. “How to get where you want to go in life, how to do things, is usually in books.”
What the book is about
Co-written by Jerdine Nolen, the book follows the life of Layla, a lovable but awkward unicorn who finds it hard to fit in at school at Unicornia.
Layla’s attempts to join other unicorns’ games are unsuccessful and they call her “woodsy” despite her attempts at a makeover. However, she shines in a moment of crisis during a class field trip when Layla’s know-how and friendships with other forest dwellers save her classmates and bring them back to safety.
While Layla’s challenges of fitting in at school have been explored thoroughly in literature, her world provides a fresh take on recurring themes of identity, culture and the pride in being different.
Her character sometimes feels like a stand-in for Los Angeles native Haddish, who said she has always seen herself as “the last Black unicorn.”
Haddish’s first book, similarly titled The Last Black Unicorn, was a New York Times Bestseller after it was released in 2019. It features a collection of personal essays about her life and journey to fame.
While hosting the reboot of the ’90s TV show Kids Say the Darndest Things, Haddish realized her fanbase among children, which inspired her to write Layla.
Attendees weigh in
Equally rapt with the reading as the children, the adult attendees said they wanted their children to be acquainted with diverse characters as they grew up.
“It’s very important to let children know that it doesn’t matter what color your skin is, everybody can have dreams because that’s what that book is about,” said Rochelle Bourn Guidry, who is also an author. “It’s to encourage them to dream beyond their circumstances and where they live and their ethnic groups.”
Others said they searched for characters in books who looked like them while growing up.
“Growing up in a small town outside of Austin, there wasn’t a lot of people or educators or anybody within the community that looked like me,” stated Raquel Esquivel, who works for a dermatology and plastic surgery company. “As a child and even an adult growing up, you need to be exposed to different cultures because it makes you a well-rounded person.”
A few people said they attended the reading to show support for Haddish.
“I find it extremely empowering to see Black woman find their way. It is an honor to be able to show my support for the book,” said Janette Semien, a parole officer.
Haddish’s advice: be yourself
Engaging with questions from the audience, Haddish encouraged the children to embrace their uniqueness and read more.
“I’m a multimillionaire because I read certain books,” she said. “Just because somebody somewhere saying things about you or making you feel uncomfortable, does not mean that you don’t belong there. You be your best self and shine and they will fall in line.”
When asked by one if Haddish has ever seen a unicorn in real life, she said, “Every time I look in the mirror.”
