Uplifting Children’s Books About Black Hair
by Naima Jasmine Russell
Why do we need a list of books specifically about Black hair? It’s very simple. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, the mother of multicultural literature, wrote about books being windows. Reading about other people’s experiences fosters empathy and understanding in developing children. She also wrote about books being mirrors, reflecting our lives back to us. Reading mirror books is self-affirmation. And every child needs affirmation in who they are and their race-specific features like skin color, hair texture, eye shape, and so on.
For Black girls with tight curls, hair is a central part of life. Hair takes a long time to style, and wash day is an event. Hair could be why you don’t get in the pool or play in the rain. Or, hair can be so fluffy and unique that strangers want to reach out and touch it without your permission. It makes sense that such an integral part of a Black child’s life should be positively reflected in the pages of the 14 following books.
-
Babies & Toddlers
-
I Love My Hair (Sesame Street)
Available from:Don’t need a trip to the beauty shop, cuz I love what I got on top, it’s curly and it’s brown and it’s right up there. You know what I love? That’s right, MY HAIR!
I’m pretty sure I have this song memorized because we played it over and over when my children were toddlers. I’m not the only one, though. The “I Love My Hair” video from Sesame Street has over 19 million views on YouTube. Based on the song of the same name, we follow our lovable puppet, Gabrielle, in this catchy, simple, and affirming ode to Black hair. An easy choice for a board book.
Also available from: -
Hair Love ABCs
Available from:Zuri is back in this board book follow-up to the bestselling picture book Hair Love. We follow Zuri and her dad through the ways they celebrate, wear, and care for Black hair. E is for elastics, and we see Zuri wearing a ponytail with colorful bands. F is for frizz, and we see Zuri standing under an umbrella in the rain with her ponytail bursting from its elastics. With all the “A is for Afro” books out there, why choose this one? Vashti Harrison’s top-notch illustrations are absolutely gorgeous!
Also available from: -
We Love Our Hair! (Nickelodeon)
Available from:My hair is unique just like my voice. However I wear it, it’s my choice!
Celebrate all the fun ways to wear your hair with your favorite friends from Nick Jr.! Rox, from Sunny Days, loves styling hair so much that she wrote a poem about it. Wear your hair in a natural bun like Zooli from Bubble Guppies. Wear it in two afro puffs like Dazzle from Butterbeans Café. Or wear it wavy like Santiago from Santiago of the Seas.
Also available from:
-
Ages 3 - 7
-
Hair Love
Available from:This #1 New York Times bestselling book broke the mold and ushered in a wave of books about honest and authentic Black experiences in 2019. A dad fumbles as he tries to style his little girl’s thick hair for a big event. Together, with the help of YouTube hair tutorials, they create the perfect style. If you watch the Hair Love short film, you find out the mom is actually the influencer in the YouTube styling videos, and the big event is the mom coming home from the hospital.
Also available from: -
Hair to Share
Available from:This sweet book is about not having hair and the complex feelings children experience as a result. Suri is proud of her curls cascading down her back. One day, she befriends a little girl named Amaya, who wears a purple scarf. When Amaya turns a cartwheel, her scarf falls off, exposing her bald head. She runs away out of embarrassment. Suri donates her curls to an organization that makes her hair into a wig for those that don’t have hair. Will Amaya receive the new wig? This book highlights a little-discussed topic, and the back matter includes reasons for hair loss and organizations that can help.
Also available from: -
Crowned with Glory
Available from:Any child, especially little Black girls, who struggle with the unique qualities of incredibly curly hair will appreciate this empowering picture book proclaiming our hair as something glorious! Follow along as young Azira embraces her natural beauty and encourages others to do the same. From her radiant smile to the many crowns she wears in how she styles her hair, Azira's story highlights the importance of self-love and embracing one's God-given uniqueness.
Also available from: -
Hair
Available from:With abstract art and funny facts, this book shares the history of hair for 5-7-year-olds. From coast to coast, across oceans and spanning multiple time periods, we learn about the most memorable styles and the “why” behind them. Why did the mohawk become popular in the 1970s? Why does it take a West African hair braider all day to finish a client’s hair? Why did women style their hair into towers during the Rococo period? This funny and engaging book will answer these hairy questions and more!
Also available from: -
Hair is Amazing (Barbie)
Available from:Step 1 leveled readers mean short text, big fonts, and rhythmic words. These books are fun for beginning readers to practice their new skills. In Hair is Amazing, we see photos of Barbie’s diverse friends and read about how they wear their hair. From long to short and pink to bald, there is a Barbie doll and hairstyle for everyone.
Also available from: -
Happy Hair
Available from:The Happy Hair series by bestselling illustrator Mechal Renee Roe is one of my favorites to recommend to other parents looking for positive and joyful picture books about Black hair. From Bantu knots to blowouts, braids to afro puffs, little Black girls see themselves reflected on the pages of Happy Hair. With bright, colorful, and adorable illustrations coupled with positive, rhyming affirmations, this fun read-aloud will boost kids’ self-esteem.
Also available from: -
Cool Cuts
Available from:Frohawks, mini-twists, cornrows, and waves — little Black boys’ self-esteem will soar when they see themselves positively reflected in Mechal Renee Roe’s Cool Cuts. Bold, bright, and adorable illustrations pair beautifully with rhyming affirmations.
What Happy Hair is for girls, Cool Cuts is for Black boys: a read-aloud celebration of the styling and care of natural hair that will have everyone chanting, “You are born to be awesome.”
Also available from: -
Smart Sisters
Available from:This is the newest release in the Happy Hair series, and it does not disappoint. Mechal Renee Roe’s signature style and bright color palette highlight new hairstyles, sisterly love, and unity. Rhyming phrases like, “Two of a kind, sharpens the mind!” or “Hear our roar, watch us soar” are paired with the repeating chant, “My sister and me.”
Also available from: -
We Are Afro Unicorns
Available from:We have the Afro Unicorn stuffed animals, sunglasses, rolling luggage, and wrapping paper, and the only reason we don’t have the t-shirts is because they sold out. We love the Afro Unicorn brand and are excited about the release of the Afro Unicorn book(s). We’ll get to read about best friends, Magical, who can read minds; Unique, who can heal and protect; and Divine, who has super strength. We can’t wait to get to know them and their afro-textured unicorn hair.
Also available from:
-
Ages 6 - 8
-
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Available from:Even super-genius superheroes get bullied at school. When someone makes an unkind comment about 13-year-old Lunella Lafayette’s hair, she wonders if she should change it for picture day. Lunella may be a typical student by day and a crime-fighting superhero named Moon Girl by night, but she still has feelings and insecurities. How do Moon Girl and her sidekick, a 10-ton red dinosaur, navigate the complex emotions of self-kindness and identity?
Also available from: -
J.D. and the Great Barber Battle
Available from:The night before the first day of 3rd grade, J.D.’s mom gives him the worst haircut of his life. Even worse, the whole elementary school teases him for it. J.D. turns this personal tragedy into a triumph by mastering barber skills. He becomes so good at cutting hair he gives the local barbershop a run for their money. Henry Jr., the owner, tries to shut J.D. down — but how do you decide who’s the best barber in town? A barber battle, of course! This book has won multiple awards, including the 2021 School Library Journal Best Books Award, and is not to be missed.
Also available from: -
J.D. and the Hair Show Showdown
Available from:In this third book in the J.D. Kid Barber series, J.D. claims his status as a hair influencer. He is the only kid barber invited to do a demo at the famous Beauty Brothers Hair Expo. He gets the VIP treatment with a limo ride, a flight, and lots of swag. But he only wants a picture with 11-year-old rap star L’il Eazy Breezy. Does J.D. have what it takes to make it happen? The attention to detail and representation in this book is spot on. Even the Beauty Brothers Hair Expo is named after the actual Bronner Brothers show, which is a big deal in Atlanta every year.
Also available from:
