In the fall of 2014, Tammy Wilson became the new principal at Discovery Community School in St. Cloud, Minnesota and had plenty on her “to-do” list. Writing a children’s book wasn’t on it – until one day she helped out in the school media center.
“The idea for the book came out of a need,” Wilson explains. “Our school community includes a number of Somali students, and one day when I was helping a little girl try to find a book to interest her, I realized there was nothing in the library that represented her. Not a single book.”
Wilson next searched online for books and discovered that children’s literature as a whole is lacking in children of color being featured as protagonists.
That’s when she thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to write a book?”
Wilson invited students to join her over lunchtime to learn more about them and to talk about their experiences. She admits
that the heroine of her book, “Through My Eyes”, is modeled on one of those students, whose African name is Zamzam.
The book practically “wrote itself,” says Wilson, over the course of one summer. She feels that the empowerment of a Somali character that is also a girl first attracted her editor, a writer for The Huffington Post, and after that, her publisher.
The illustrator for the book is the muralist for Discovery’s colorful and inspirational school interiors.
Wilson contacted her and now laughs, “I just told her she was going to be the artist for my book. She agreed, and it was only later that she came back and said, ‘What’s it about?’”
In addition to the strength of Zamzam as a character, the power of Wilson’s book is found in its themes: the alienation and fear of the refugee experience, the genuine and bewildering culture shock of moving to another land, as well as the universal power of friendship and understanding.
Wilson says the word is out locally about the book and excitement is building.
“The children who inspired me are sixth-graders now,” she explains. “They are invited to the book launch and will be recognized.”
“Through My Eyes” is also available on amazon.com.
