Serena Williams is writing a children’s book, “The Adventures of Qai Qai,” based on her 4-year-old daughter Olympia’s doll, Qai Qai.
“The Adventures of Qai Qai” will be about a doll that teaches a little girl how important it is to believe in herself. Williams’ book will be published by Feiwel and Friends in 2022.
Williams announced her new children’s book on Instagram on Dec. 2 with a caption noting that the story is about the power of imagination and friendship. She also thanked her fans for their continued support.
“Since realizing @RealQaiQai’s ability to spread joy to our own family and also millions of others around the world, we’ve wanted to tell her story in every way possible. We are so proud to announce Qai Qai’s first book, “The Adventures of Qai Qai,” a story about the power of friendship and imagination. Thank you for your continued support and you can pre-order your copy with the link in my bio!
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Alexis Ohanian, Williams’ husband, told PEOPLE that he wanted his daughter’s first doll to be a Black doll to break societal stereotypes.
“I know one thing four years ago that was really important to us was to make sure that Olympia had a Black baby doll,” said Ohanian. “And have that be a very important first doll for her, if for no other reason than to just expose her to something that can hopefully break a cycle that we know exists. The Baby Doll Test has been used as an example for displaying the problems of societal discrimination and how hard-coded that gets into culture.”
The Baby Doll test was an experiment where Black children were given a choice between a Black doll or a white doll, and most Black children chose the white doll. Furthermore, many called the Black doll bad, revealing how racism in American society affected young Black children’s perceptions of themselves.
Olympia became so attached to her doll that her parents made an Instagram page for QaiQai to share her with the world. Ohanian later partnered with the entertainment technology company Invisible Universe to bring his daughter’s doll, Qai Qai, to life with animation.
Williams dedicated “The Adventures of Qai Qai” to all the little girls in the world.
“This book is dedicated to all little girls…Let this book be a constant reminder that you can do anything you put your mind to. Imagine it, believe it, do it.”
The book is illustrated by Yesenia Moises. “The Adventures of Qai Qai” will be published by Feiwel and Friends on Sept. 27, 2022.
