Gabrielle Union Shares How Daughter Kaavia Inspired Her New Children’s Book

Gabrielle Union says her daughter, Kaavia James Union-Wade, was her muse for her latest project.

Union recently sat down with Essence and dished about her new book, Welcome to the Party. For her first children’s book, Union said she wanted to show the experience of non-traditional and blended families. The book shares how all mothers of different backgrounds and structures have the same struggles and moments.

During the interview, Union shared how becoming a mother made her want to write a story from the perspective of parents with little ones. After the family welcomed Kaavia in 2018, she said the 1-year-old tot was the perfect addition.

“She came into our lives and changed everything,” Union said of her daughter.

Before she and Dwyane Wade brought Kaavia home, Union had shared how she struggled to carry a child on her own. In several interviews, Union was honest about her challenges with infertility. She said after suffering from multiple miscarriages due to adenomyosis, she decided to look into surrogacy. She and Wade then quietly went through the surrogacy process and shared Kaavia with the world via Instagram.

In addition to discussing mothers who also had their children via surrogate, Union said the book is for blended and adoptive families. Union is the stepmother to Wade’s three children: Zaya, Xavier, and Zaire. Since getting married in 2014, Wade and Union have been honest with their fans about the different experiences their family goes through.

Most recently, the couple has been applauded for their role in Zaya’s life. Earlier this year, she revealed to them she’s transgender, which they instantly supported.

“There’s nothing that we’re ashamed about with our family,” Union said. “I don’t want to hide myself. We are imperfectly perfect. If you have a problem with it, then it’s going to be your problem.”

Union continued to say the book was her chance to collaborate with other artists of color. For the book, she intentionally worked with a black illustrator, Ashley Evans. Evans is responsible for all of the photos in the book. She also shared she only wanted black women to help her put the book together.

“That’s a special accomplishment for me,” Union explained. “Centering us, and including us was important.”

Welcome to the Party is Union’s second published book. Back in 2017, she released her memoir, We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True. Her book of essays earned her a spot on the New York Times Bestseller list.