"Olympia thinks it's her in the book and she thinks the mom is me and the dad is my husband" - Serena Williams turns author with "The Adventures of Qai Qai"
Serena Williams always seems to find ways to inspire. The tennis star's latest offering is certain to add to her list of fans from a whole new generation.
Williams has now authored a children's picture book titled The Adventures of Qai Qai, which will go on sale later this month.
Speaking on ABC's Good Morning America, the 40-year-old revealed that her daughter Olympia relates the characters in the book to her family, although she did not create the characters with the family in mind.
“Olympia thinks it’s her in the book and she thinks the mom is me and she thinks the dad is my husband … it’s not us ... but I don’t want it to go to her head!”
@serenawilliams reveals her daughter's adorable reaction to her new children's book, "The Adventures of Qai Qai" ❤️ https://t.co/CljaObPFMu
“Olympia thinks it’s her in the book and she thinks the mom is me and she thinks the dad is my husband, it’s not us, but I don’t want it to go to her head! Serena Williams reveals her daughter's adorable reaction to her new children's book, The Adventures of Qai Qai"
Williams also delved deep into how the story came about and the fact that it had some "cool hidden messages" to make people believe in themselves.
.@serenawilliams’s debut picture book is a celebration of representation and the power of believing in yourself! THE ADVENTURES OF QAI QAI, illustrated by @yeseniadraws, will be available on 9/27: bit.ly/QaiQai https://t.co/C8O8fLI0DF
"It's so authentic. It's a story that we came up with during COVID and this particular book of Qai Qai is just about using our imagination because kids have such an amazing imagination. We couldn't leave the house and I was playing with Olympia and our doll Qai Qai who is this amazing personality on social media platforms and yet we just like wanted to put in people's minds that we can't forget just how important it is to use your imagination and play and also believe in yourself. There are some really cool hidden messages out there about self confidence and that you can do it and also going back to the art of just being a kid," said Williams with a smile.
"I really wanted to represent a black girl" - Serena Williams on the character of Qai Qai
The 23-time Grand Slam champion also disclosed that she wanted the character in the book to represent a black girl and that Yesenia Moises, who specializes in the illustrations of children’s books, did an outstanding job.
"When I saw the illustration I said listen I really wanted to represent a black girl because I thought it was really important and that was the reason Qai Qai came on because I was looking for a black doll and I wanted it to be something really authentic. She (Yesesia) did a wonderful job with getting that across even with the mom and the dad and it's an amazing family in the book so," she disclosed.
Be sure to watch @serenawilliams on @FallonTonight debuting the launch of The Adventures of Qai Qai on September 27th! Don't forget to pre-order your copy here: bit.ly/3mhMmsv @MacKidsBooks @yeseniadraws
youtube.com/watch?v=Kz1j-x…
Williams, who bid adieu to the game during the recently-concluded US Open, has always been known to be a multifaceted and multitalented personality, having featured in movies and television series in the past. She has also worked on several brands of her own and has been working on her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures.