Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union Set To Publish Book Inspired By Their 3-Year-Old Daughter

Celebrity couple Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union are adding a children’s book to their long list of accolades. Union introduced the book on her Instagram on Friday, telling the world that the story is inspired by the couple’s 3-year-old girl, Kaavia James. 

“Kaavia James has an opinion and soon she will share it with the world,” the actress wrote. “Dwyane Wade and I are so excited to announce Shady Baby, our picture book which teaches kids to use their moral compass and inner strength to choose kindness and compassion and to stick up for themselves and others.”

Union previously authored the children’s book, Welcome to the Party, but Shady Baby is the first children’s book the couple has written together. 

“Inspired by our daughter, Kaavia James, we wanted to create a children’s book that not only had a little Black girl as the main character, but that also reflects the global community we live in,” the 48-year-old mother said in an interview with People. 

The plot is focused on a little girl who meets bullies when she goes to the park. She then stands up to the bullies and receives support from her peers nearby. 

“We hope to give the word ‘shady’ a more positive association and use it to represent one’s moral compass to do the right thing and stand up for themselves and others,” the couple said. “It’s important that little Black girls and boys get to see themselves in these fairy tales and for children of other races to see us in leadership roles.”

Wade and Union welcomed Kaavia James in 2018 through surrogacy. The child’s fame has skyrocketed since her arrival, with more than 1.5 Instagram followers on her own account. 

“Since she was born, you could always tell what she was thinking just by looking at her,” the parents said in a statement. “Thus, her Shady Baby persona was born!”

Union said she gets her attitude from her mother.

“She looks just like dad, but I’d like to think the attitude is from me,” the movie star told People in 2019. “She will stare into your soul and tell you about yourself through her eyes.”

This isn’t Kaavia James’ first business venture. The 3-year-old also inspired her mother’s line of children’s clothing, which launched last year. Wade and Union said they hope that the latest project will not only showcase their daughter’s brilliance but also inspire the world.

“Shady Baby is not only a book that children will enjoy, but it is the book the world needs right now,” editor Luana Horry said in a statement. “Shady Baby is adorable, she makes us laugh, and has important things to say!”

Illustrated by Tara Nicole Whitaker, the book will be released on May 18. Shady Baby, which is available for preorder on Amazon, is described as a story “that teaches kids to speak their minds and stand up for what they believe in.”