The tennis superstar was inspired by her daughter Olympia and her doll Qai Qai.
Serena Williams is adding another title to her resume -- author! The tennis pro is bringing life to her daughter Olympia's doll, Qai Qai, in a whole new way with a book inspired by her.
On Thursday, Serena announced that she's releasing her first children's book, The Adventures of Qai Qai, with Invisible Universe, an entertainment technology company. The kids' book is illustrated by Yesenia Moises and will be published by Feiwel and Friends on Sept. 27, 2022.
Qai Qai became an internet celebrity in her own right after she began making frequent appearances alongside Olympia on the family's various Instagram pages. The King Richard producer and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, created the doll's separate Instagram account in August 2018, and, with the help of Invisible Universe, brought the doll to life through animation. Qai Qai now boasts over 3.5 million fans as Serena and Alexis continue to share Olympia's toy with fans both in-person and on Instagram.
"Storytime is such an important pillar of our bedtime routine, like so many others around the world," Williams said in a statement about reading with her 4-year-old daughter. "Qai Qai is a special member of our family and we hope The Adventures of Qai Qai will give others a new way to welcome Qai Qai into their own home."
According to a press release, The Adventures of Qai Qai will bring the character to life in a heartfelt and happy story in which she teaches a little girl the importance of believing in herself, exploring evergreen themes like friendship and the power of imagination.
"The Adventures of Qai Qai is a story that is both practical and magical! Serena Williams' message empowers children to believe that with confidence and imagination, you are never alone," said Jean Feiwel, senior vice president and publisher of Feiwel and Friends.
"As our breakout success, Qai Qai has taught us so much about the importance of believing in yourself. Now young kids everywhere can learn from her in The Adventures of Qai Qai," said Tricia Biggio, chief executive officer of Invisible Universe. "Qai Qai and this book are proving that indelible IP for the next generation can be born on social media and extended to other forms of entertainment."
Serena took to Instagram to spread the news of the book with a video of the star herself! "Since realizing @RealQaiQai’s ability to spread joy to our own family and also millions of others around the world, we’ve wanted to tell her story in every way possible. We are so proud to announce Qai Qai’s first book, 'The Adventures of Qai Qai,' a story about the power of friendship and imagination," she wrote.
Qai Qai got in the action as well, with the doll's account posting a video of her reading the book alongside a plush dog toy.
The post reads: "I got my own book! I hope y’all are as excited as me and @serenawilliams are! Pre-order your copy of 'The Adventures of Qai Qai' with the link in my bio! Y'all didn't really think I wasn't going to share did you?"
The Adventures of Qai Qai will make its debut on Sept. 27, 2022.
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