The day that Yaram Yahu caught a glimpse of his fluffy afro sitting like a crown of dark cotton on the top of his head was the magical moment that gave birth to the title of his fourth book.
“It was in April of 2022,” Yahu, of Oak Park, explained. “I went to get a drink of water after working out and saw the shadow of my afro in silhouette. It looked like a rising sun, and I thought, ‘my afro is a rising sun and that is the perfect children’s book title,’ because you know, I have been writing children’s books for almost 20 years now.”
The idea stuck with him for about two weeks before he sat down to write the manuscript in May 2022. “My Afro is a Rising Sun” centers on a young boy who learns about his identity, culture and heritage through his afro.
One of the book’s messages is for Black children and really anyone, to express themselves, see the beauty in themselves and to embrace their culture and heritage.
Perseverance is the book’s other message, he said.
“Another takeaway in the book, especially for marginalized people of color, is that obstacles will come your way and there will be things you will have to face…but it’s being able to persevere and shine through them despite those obstacles.”
Yahu wrote and self-published his first book “Heartland,” and founded his self-publishing business at 11. He also wrote a 500-page novel as a sophomore at Oak Park River Forest High School.
“I got started [writing] when I was in fourth grade,” Yahoo, 29, recalled. “I went to Longfellow Elementary School here in Oak Park. My teacher, Mrs. Ambrosino, assigned a creative writing assignment that led me into writing full time.”
Yahu found his first representation in July 2022. The agent then sent the manuscript to publishers in September.
“A lot of people don’t know that you have to go through a literary agent who will then send the manuscript to the publisher,” Yahu said. “That’s how you get traditionally published.”