Happy Hair

by Mechal Renee Roe

Overview

The New York Times best-selling illustrator of Vice President Kamala Harris's Super Heroes Are Everywhere creates a joyful, positive, read-together book celebrating Black and Brown girls with natural hair. Kids everywhere will be chanting its celebratory chorus: "I love being me!"

Full 'fro, cute bow! I love being me! Smart girl, cool curls! I love being me!

Girls will love seeing strong, happy reflections of themselves in this vibrant, rhythmic book full of beautiful Black hairstyles. From a cute crop to pom-pom puffs, adorable illustrations of girls with gorgeous braids, blowouts, and bantus grace each page, side by side with a positive message that will make girls cheer. It's a great read-aloud to promote self-esteem for girls of all ages, building and growing the foundation of self-love (and hair love!) and letting every girl know "You are made beautiful!"

Look for all the books in the Happy Hair series:
• Cool Cuts
• I'm Growing Great
• Smart Sisters
• I Love Being Me! (Step Into Reading)
• I Am Born to Be Awesome! (Step Into Reading)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593173336
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Series:	Happy Hair
Pages:	28
Sales rank:	988,832
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	AD310L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

MECHAL RENEE ROE is a #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator (for Superheroes Are Everywhere by Vice President Kamala Harris) and a writer, designer, photographer, and entrepreneur. The HAPPY HAIR series was born out of a need to value her own natural hair and all its stages, while creating a foundation of self-love and positivity. Mechal lives in St. Louis. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @happyhairgirls.

Editorial Reviews

A 2022 Black History Month Recommendation for Kids from the Teen Reading Ambassadors of the New York Public Library

"A book that pays homage to the versatility of black hair. . . . Fun to read aloud.”—Kirkus

From the Publisher

2019-08-12
A book that pays homage to the versatility of black hair.

A dark-skinned black girl, eyes closed, face forward, greets readers on the cover against a bright yellow background, and she wears a pink bow (die-cut out of the case) in her wavy updo. This is one of many hairstyles featured in the illustrations, designed to help readers appreciate the potential for styling natural Afro hair. "Bomb braids," "pom-pom puffs" and "‘fro-hawk" (an Afro-styled mohawk) also appear. Like these, most of the hairstyle names incorporate alliteration, making them fun to read aloud. At first glance, readers might think this book is about one girl's hair—which is possible, given how many styles one head of afrotextured hair can sport—but skin color changes, as do clothes, earrings, and other details that are easily altered, although every girl holds the same face-front, eye-closed position. But the sameness of each face leaves no room for variations in other features such as the eyes, lips, and nose. Hence, young readers might consider this a paper version of the video games that allow changes in hairstyles on a face that has limited or no customizability—which also limits the book's usefulness as multicultural literature.

The refrain, "I love being me," offers a worthwhile affirmation, but cookie-cutter faces undermine the message about diversity. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews