Hair picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Hair Picture Books– https://amzn.to/4udJvCy .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
No Way, Wash Day
by Adrienne Thurman (Author), Kaylani Juanita (Illustrator)
Summary: Nina Belle loves the different ways she wears her hair but tries to get out of wash day. Her mother gently helps her daughter realize that hair care is a tradition of love and connection.
Comments: This is a humorous read-aloud that could lead to discussions of self-care and how making a common routine into a caring expression.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
My Crown is Good
by Sydney Hart (Author)
Summary: A young girl, Tiara, loves her locs until she is bullied at school about them. She loses her confidence and self-pride until she visits her Grandma Algie who is able to help her granddaughter realize how beautiful her hair is and to wear it like a crown.
Comments: This story would pair well with a self-portrait art activity where students reflect and share their features.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.
Brave
by Weshoyot Alvitre (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: A young Indigenous boy admires his father’s long hair and that of dancers at a powwow. Although he is teased at school, he wants to have long braids. His father tells him about the history of how his hair and that of other Indigenous people was cut as he combs his son’s hair. He explains how they had to be brave and strong. The boy decides he wants to be like his ancestors and grow his hair long, too.
Comments: This would be a wonderful classroom read-aloud for intermediate students. The book gently explores the significance of having one’s hair cut against one’s will. It introduces the history of Indian Residential Schools. It could be a prompt for students to discuss how they can support fellow classmates with cultural traditions they may not be familiar with.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Wash Day with Mama
by Monica Mikai (Author)
Summary: A young girl treasures each step of her hair washing ritual with her mother, who shares self-care, self-love, and pride in one’s identity tips while sharing jokes and singing.
Comments: Sweet story of mother and daughter bonding.
The illustrations were created digitally using Procreate on an iPad Pro.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Haircut Day with Dad
by Monica Mikai (Author)
Summary:
It’s Saturday morning, which means it’s time for a trip to the barbershop with Dad. A young boy shares this special bonding ritual of getting a haircut alongside his father while surrounded by other men enjoying fresh cuts, watching a basketball game, and chatting together. By the end of the visit, the boy proudly pays the barber with his own money, making the experience feel like a rite of passage.
Comments: The sensory details of the story had me in that barbershop. The story provides discussions about self-image and family rituals.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
My Powerful Hair
by Carole Lindstrom (Author), Steph Littlebird (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A young girl tells how she can’t wait for her hair to grow long. She explains how her ancestors grew long hair, as hair is their memories and source of strength. The girl shares the milestones of her life and how her hair grows parallel to those special events.
Comments: Readers learn why the young girl’s mother has always had short hair and what it means to have hair cut short in her Indigenous culture.
This book’s back pages explain the belief that hair holds strength and power and includes an Author’s note.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
When I Wrap My Hair
by Shauntay Grant (Author), Jenin Mohammed (Illustrator)
Summary: A young girl reflects upon how she feels and connects to ancestral women of her heritage while her mother wraps her hair in a scarf.
Comments: The lyrical verses float in and out of bright colors of the traditional and digital mixed media.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
The Girl with the Magic Ponytails: French Tales
by Karen J. Young (Author), Yoko Matsuoka(Illustrator)
Brief summary: Riley always wears her long, brown hair in two ponytails on either side of her head. She and her pup visit her grandparents, where there is a lovely table full of French pastries.
Her grandparents share their honeymoon photo album from when they visited France. Riley bites into a macaron and her ponytails twist and twirl, magically transporting her and Pup to France in the past. There, she meets artists Monet and Van Gogh and even gets to drive in the Grand Prix. Eventually, they land outside a café where Riley is greeted by her grandparents. They return home to celebrate the couple’s anniversary.
Comments: This book’s vivid imagination may inspire young readers to create their own fantasy adventures.
The illustrations are bright and colorful, matching Riley’s energy. The fonts change color to complement the illustrations.
This is the second of the Girl with the Magic Ponytales series.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.