Trevor Noah releases new book “Into the Uncut Grass” – Essence

In his first kid’s book, Trevor Noah delves into the intricacies of childhood, parenting, and the often-ignored nuances of conflict resolution. Drawing on his own experiences growing up in South Africa, Noah explores the common tensions between parents and youngsters, and particularly the disconnect that may occur when there may be a lack of expertise. “All I remember from childhood is that my mother made assumptions about me that were not correct,” he explains. “And I think a lot of kids go through that. In fact, in preparation for writing this book, I only talked to children from different backgrounds and countries – children really feel like their parents don’t take the time to try to understand them.”

At the heart of this book is the relatable struggle between childhood and maturity, and the way each side can find common ground in a shared world of imagination. Through fantastical storytelling, Noah presents a story easy enough for kids to grasp, but filled with meaning for fogeys to ponder. As Noah puts it, a baby’s inner mind is “rather more complicated than… [adults] think” and reminds us that understanding a baby’s world requires patience, empathy and, most significantly, time.

Illustrated by Sabina Hahn, the book is a visible and narrative journey designed to spark conversations between children and their parents – conversations that Noah believes can foster deeper understanding and help fill the gaps that typically arise in the household. offers a fresh perspective on conflict resolution, encouraging each children and adults to look beyond their differences and connect on a more meaningful level. This is not only a kid’s story; is an invite to folks to look again at their youth and consider the importance of empathy in raising the next generation.

As Noah reflects on the inspiration behind the book and the broader themes it explores, his insights reveal a deep understanding of each the simplicity and complexity of those relationships. Now the talented comedian and host shares more about his creative process, his personal experiences and the lessons he hopes readers will take away from his latest release.

ESSENCE: What inspired you to put in writing? ?

Trevor Noah: I believe it’s a number of things. First of all, I all the time wanted to put in writing a kid’s book. I all the time found them easy yet meaningful. And then I wanted to put in writing a book that attempted to handle, in my view, the most complex topic, which is conflict resolution, using certainly one of the many, I’d say, nine topics in our lives, which is identical to children who don’t need to do something that they need from their parents. And it was really me trying to resolve the puzzle, which is far greater than the book, but I used to be just having fun with it in a world that is really easy and inventive and exquisite at the same time.

You just talked about conflict resolution. How did your individual experiences growing up influence this book?

I often told my mother, even now, that there have been so many conflicts between us and it didn’t necessarily need to be that way. And I understand how difficult it have to be for fogeys, especially those living in a world where they’re working hard to make ends meet or simply working hard of their world. They may find it difficult to take the time to grasp their child. But the only thing I remember from my childhood is that my mother had certain assumptions about me that weren’t correct. And I believe quite a lot of kids undergo this. In fact, when preparing to put in writing this book, I only talked to children from different backgrounds, from different countries and places. It’s amazing how, usually, children really feel like their parents don’t take the time to grasp them.

Children move at a distinct pace. Adults navigate the world during which they work and need to do something. And so, there was a breakdown and a break in the conversations between them. So it was definitely inspired by that; conversations that I had with myself as a baby and I’m kind of attempting to relive those moments that I’d have had, attempting to resolve ideas or conflicts that existed in my home. Because that is mainly the way you learn the right way to resolve conflict as you grow up, right, from what you experienced as a baby.

That’s interesting. So what message do you hope these two beings – children and adults – take away from this story?

Well, I hope that if parents read this book with their children, initially, it’s going to be entertaining enough and I believe that children will get the right message from it. So every kid who’s read this book to date that I’ve had the opportunity to refer to has immediately talked to me and fully confirmed this. The kids replied, “Yeah man, thanks a lot for writing this book. And I completely understood what this kid was going through. And it’s really amazing to see how they behave. Yes, it’s almost like a liberation book for them. I hope adults understand that a baby’s inner mind is rather more complicated than they realize. So they need to take a while to dig deeper into this matter because they are going to discover rather more than they think.

Children cannot only be seen and never heard. Children will not be just an afterthought. There is a magical world on the other side of meeting children. And then I believe if adults read it themselves, I do not know. I’ve been on this journey for the previous couple of years and I just think, it’s amazing how offended we allow ourselves to be and the way much we assume others are mean. And it’s just me. This just isn’t scientific or research-based or anything, but I bet that fifty% of the conflicts that we now have as human beings, at the very least 50% are based simply on our perception or just on our ability to speak, or after simply based on our internal state at the moment it happens.

I hope adults read this book and ask themselves questions like: “Have you tried to understand another person? Have you accepted their point of view? Have you seen the world through their eyes? And have you considered being with them more than being with the problem?” I believe there’s something beautiful and straightforward about it that I do know I even have applied to my life.

The book had amazing illustrations. What was it like working with Sabina Hahn and the way did her art shape the story you were attempting to tell?

Sabina was a godsend. She’s phenomenal. It was my first kid’s book, but she had already illustrated many books. She actually guided me through most of the process. It not only illustrates, but asks why we illustrate and what we illustrate. She encouraged me to be as creative as I needed to be. She encouraged me to think further, after which think silly and funny, after which think crazy, rejoice with it. She jogged my memory to not take it too seriously. And I believe that was something that basically spoke to me. It was a pleasure to work with someone who hasn’t lost his youthful vigor and goofy view of the world, while still keeping a straight face and doing the things he must do. And that was really great because this book just isn’t an image book, but in addition an image book.

Normal.

And the book is predicated on these images. The book relies on these illustrations, which really connect the imagination between the words.

How was this book different out of your previous one? Did you discover this creative process tougher than your previous work?

In some ways it was easier, in others it was harder. It was easier since it didn’t require as much, I’d say, emotional excavation throughout my life. So it was easier, and it is a shorter job, etc., however it was so much harder in other ways. You take without any consideration how much harder it’s to put in writing a book with significantly fewer words. This means you possibly can rely less on verbosity and might’t just keep talking to get your message across. You need to seek out out what words you utilize and why you utilize them.

And that was really a challenge. And it was great because in a way it allowed me to delve into the world of youngsters, because sometimes once we are adults, as our vocabulary develops, we move just a little away from the emotions related to words, and we will talk more and feel less. And children have so few words, and in a way they feel more and speak less. So writing a kid’s book jogged my memory that the biggest challenge was expressing all the feelings and emotions in much fewer words. And that was probably the biggest challenge of all.

So the world for kids looks very different now than it did once I was growing up, and particularly when my father was growing up. In a world filled with digital distractions, what do you hope this book will do for kids who’re less accustomed to telling stories through books and should be more accustomed to digital narratives?

I hope it’s going to stimulate their imagination. I used to be lucky to grow up in a world where, yes, we had television, and yes, we had cartoons, movies, video games, and so forth. However, my first introduction to the world of storytelling was books. I believe each parents and youngsters, but people should never take without any consideration the gaps between information that shape the way we see the world. If you watch a video, watch a movie, or watch something, every a part of that story is communicated to you, you develop into a passive recipient of data. When you read a book, your mind has to work, your mind has to assume what the words are describing. So if you happen to and I read a page of a book and it describes a tall house with a skinny tower and a curved chimney, all of us imagine a distinct house. We could have an analogous idea, but all of us imagine a distinct home.

And I believe that is the power of reading, the power of immersion, that forces your imagination to fill in an element of the story that only your character can do. I hope we always remember it and never lose it. Because look, I mean, I really like TikTok videos as much as the next person. But I actually think it is important that we live in a world where we encourage individualism and creativity, especially on the subject of self-expression, in order that we do not all just see the world in a single short-sighted way that’s imposed on us, but somewhat see the world as a good looking tapestry an concept that represents who we’re.

Do you see yourself continuing to work in the kid’s genre? And in that case, what stories would you prefer to tell in the future?

I’ll misinform you if I say I do, and I’ll misinform you if I say I do not. I do not consider myself as anyone particularly. I just attempt to go where I find some purpose that’s combined with curiosity. I used to be lucky to find this in my life. So if something makes me pleased, I do it. And if I feel like doing it again, I’ll do it again and, initially, I’ll see what it seems like for me. But no, I would not do it only for the sake of doing it. So without delay I’m specializing in this book and just putting it on the market after which I’ll see if I provide you with one other idea or something significant. But if not, I’m glad it’s. I wanted to put in writing a book for kids. I’ve never seen myself as a kid’s creator, so without delay the answer could be: I do not know, minus the slash. I’ll see what the next adventure brings and where I’m going next.