When Naiche Visits the Stars, from Reycraft Books, Introduces a Young Native Girl with Cosmic Ambitions
The picture book explores the power of imagination and the determination to turn a dream into reality.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY, DATE TK, 2023—Leading children’s trade publisher Reycraft Books introduces readers to Naiche, a young girl with a goal that is truly out of this world, in When Naiche Visits the Stars. Written by Erika T. Wurth, illustrated by Sharon Irla, and published on July 11, 2023, the tale is rooted in Native American culture and the future of space exploration.
“Naiche, a mixed-race girl with a family background that includes the Apache, Chickasaw, and Cherokee nations, contends with the prejudice of her classmates as she connects with nature and learns about her Native American heritage from her mother. Both of Naiche’s parents build spaceships at NASA, which fires her imagination—she envisions herself encountering unique alien visitors from the planet Zotoc, and hopes that one day, she too will build spaceships and use them to travel to that world and others.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Erika T. Wurth is the author of a number of books for adults—but When Naiche Visits the Stars is her first picture book for kids. She is a professor at Western Illinois University and a proud stepmother and auntie. She is of Apache/ Chickasaw/Cherokee descent. Erika lives in Colorado with her partner and her two incredibly fluffy dogs.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Sharon Irla is a Cherokee artist whose works span from murals and award-winning fine-art oil paintings to photography, digital art, and patented apparel surface design. Claiming to be a "self-taught" artist wouldn't be entirely accurate, as Irla credits her mother (also an artist/designer) for her life in art and design.
Wurth explained that her main inspiration for the book came from her own life and background. “My mother was a dancer and my father was an aerospace engineer, and I am descended from Apaches from Northern Mexico and Chickasaws and Cherokees in the United States,” she said. “I grew up in the country, west of Denver—I think it was a place where my imagination was free to roam, and I wanted to show a little bit about that. It’s nice to think that Native kids, no matter if they are from a reservation, the city, or the country, like me, might read this book and think, I can do anything I want, even travel to the stars.”
Wurth said her approach was to ensure that the book had broad appeal while still embracing its Native foundation. “I feel like Naiche's imagination encompasses who she is as a Native person, but also encompasses her big, beautiful imagination as a unique individual,” she said. “I think this book is very specific about who Naiche is as a human being, and not just an example of the nations she descends from.” Wurth added, “I think it matters that both of her parents are scientists and work for NASA—I think this gives Native kids who read this book a chance to dream really big, and non-Natives a chance to see that we're not just there to be lessons for them—every book about Natives doesn’t need to be an overt lesson about our culture, nor does it always have to be about trauma. I think that Native writing, especially for children, should be joyful and it should be fun.”
Wurth also expressed her enthusiasm for Irla’s lush, colorful, photorealistic illustrations. “I love them,” she said. “They're fun and they're beautiful and they absolutely brought my world to life.”
ABOUT REYCRAFT BOOKS: Reycraft Books partners with award-winning and up-and-coming authors and illustrators, primarily from underrepresented communities, to provide high-quality books that delight, inform, and honor the voice and vision of all children. Founded in 2019, the imprint publishes authentic stories—engaging picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, graphic novels, and more—that build knowledge, perspective, and connection, meeting the diverse needs of children, families, and educators.