A Bridge Between Generations: A Guest Post by Trevor Noah
Bestselling author, comedian, producer and television host Trevor Noah is no stranger to a good story — and his latest book is the best of them. Into the Uncut Grass is a big-hearted fable for all ages. Trevor has penned an exclusive essay detailing how an interaction with his younger brother altered his perspective on the younger generation and what he hopes readers gain from reading his new book, down below.
Hardcover
$23.40
$26.00
Into the Uncut Grass
Into the Uncut Grass
By
Trevor Noah
Illustrator
Sabina Hahn
In Stock Online
Hardcover
$23.40
$26.00
If you loved The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, then this book was written with you in mind. Written by everyone’s favorite Trevor Noah and illustrated by Sabina Hahn, this is a treat for the eyes and the mind.
If you loved The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, then this book was written with you in mind. Written by everyone’s favorite Trevor Noah and illustrated by Sabina Hahn, this is a treat for the eyes and the mind.
I loved stories as a child—they offered the opportunity to travel to these expansive worlds that I otherwise didn’t have access to. Whenever I reread timeless classics like The Little Prince or The Chronicles of Narnia, I revisit worlds that were so familiar and dear to me as a child—but I also find different meanings from them as an adult. I was inspired by such books and wanted to write a fable that could serve as a similar bridge between different generations.
Into the Uncut Grass is inspired by the quieter yet imagination-fueled moments of my childhood, as well as my relationship with my mother. As much as I wanted to respect her wishes, I always had my own plans. She’d say, “Make your bed.” “Tie your shoes.” I just wanted to be free! She’d throw out a rule, I’d find a loophole and jump through it.
And when all the loopholes were closed, I’d find the nearest open door and run. Eventually, I would come back home: maybe wiser, but mostly just happy to be under my roof again with the people I loved most. From my mother, I learned conflict is part of life—but so is understanding and compromise.
I also had a moment with my younger brother recently where we were clearing the table after a meal, and he had stacked all the plates together. I said that he should just take a few at a time, and he asked why. And we went back and forth—“Put it down, just take some to the sink.” “Why?”—until I finally went, “Because I’m telling you to!” And I had a moment where I was like, “Am I a parent now?”
So I paused and explained that in my experience, dishes are easier to break if you are too ambitious with stacking many at once, and that it’d be safer to carry a couple at once. And later, my brother clarified that when he was asking why, he genuinely wanted to understand the logic behind the action: to be able to interrogate it and see if he wanted to do the same thing. And that, more importantly, if someone else asked him why he was doing it that way, he would be able to explain himself.
It shifted the way I see him, and every other younger person for that matter. I realized the more conflict we experience in our lives—and in our world—the more we need to get back to basics. How to move forward with love, communication, and understanding. That’s also why I wrote Into the Uncut Grass.
It’s an adventure story, but it’s also, hopefully, a reminder that we can get so much farther together. It’s a tale meant for all ages—to either be shared with a loved one or enjoyed alone. It’s for families, yes—but it’s also for adults who need to tap back into the wonder of exploration, creativity, and community. I can’t wait for you to come with me Into the Uncut Grass.