Hair is culturally important, especially to Black communities, so we put together a stack of books that celebrate Black hair and hairstyles that we have enjoyed reading. We hope you love them, too!
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James is a cool book about the power a young person feels after deciding on a hairstyle, getting a cut at the shop, and feeling the confidence in knowing you’re looking your best. We are absolutely in love with the expressions on the main character’s face and the lyrical quality to the text.
Mixed Me by Taye Diggs and illustrated by Shane W. Evans is about a kid named Mike whose parents are not the same race. His friends are confused because he doesn’t fit into how they think he should look, and he confidently navigates their confusion, including telling them not to touch his hair. We love the ending, in which Mike tells his friends he’s not mixed up, just mixed.
Princess Hair by Sharee Miller is a rhyming book depicting girls with lots of different hairstyles doing lots of different activities. We love that it shows so many different hairstyles and all different kids doing all kinds of things and feeling beautiful and confident.
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and illustrated by Vashti Harrison (remember her work from our Black History Month stack?) hits the mark for us in so many ways. Really fun and pretty images, a main character who (mostly) knows what she wants, and a family who support her and each other. In this one, Zuri wants the perfect hairstyle for when her mom comes home. Her dad has been caring for her full time while her mom is gone, and he has mastered many hairstyles, but they try out a few before deciding on the one for this special day.
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