Black hair can be many things—a way to reflect beauty, to honor one’s ancestors, to evoke a spiritual connection, and to be a map to freedom. This picture book offers a look at the many ways that hair is connected to Black culture from across the diaspora, showcasing a multitude of hairstyles, including everything from afros to cornrows to Bantu knots. Digital illustrations give life to the styles which are rendered in precise detail, and a variety of skin colors are shown, reflecting the diversity of people of African descent, with vibrant colors for clothing and adornments that pop against the characters’ skin and hair. While the book mostly focuses on the beauty and love of Black hair, it also considers the significance of hair to those who survived the Middle Passage in its descriptions of how their hair was forcibly taken away and how enslaved folks used cornrows as maps to freedom. These historical scenes step away from the contemporary pages’ bright, happy color palette to more subdued hues, and the terror in the eyes of characters in these pages is palpable. This would make a compelling counterpart to Harper’s Salon Saturday, reviewed above, and as an exploration of the history and cultural importance of Black hairstyles. Backmatter covers both the CROWN Act and the history of multiple hairstyles.

Author: Sylvia Rodriguez

Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing,U.S.

ISBN: 9781623545901