Hair Story

by NoNieqa Ramos, Keisha Morris (Illustrator)

Overview

With rhythmic, rhyming verse, this picture book follows two girls—one non-Black Puerto Rican, one Black—as they discover the stories their hair can tell.

Preciosa has hair that won’t stay straight, won’t be confined. Rudine’s hair resists rollers, flat irons, and rules.

Together, the girls play hair salon! They take inspiration from their moms, their neighbors, their ancestors, and cultural icons. They discover that their hair holds roots of the past and threads of the future.

With rhythmic, rhyming verse and vibrant collage art, author NoNieqa Ramos and illustrator Keisha Morris follow two girls as they discover the stories hair can tell.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541579163
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/07/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,121,897
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	320L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Raised in the Boogie Down Bronx, NoNieqa Ramos is an educator and literary activist. Their work includes the young adult novels The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary and The Truth Is, as well as the picture book Hair Story. They believe Halloween is a lifestyle, not a holiday. If you're in Virginia, you might catch NoNieqa getting motorcycle lessons from their soulmate Michael or going indie bookstore hopping with their preciosos Jandi and Langston. Connect with their works on www.nonieqaramos.com or on the Latinx collective www.lasmusasbooks.com.

Keisha Morris is a freelance writer and illustrator based in Maryland. She loves creating characters whose personalities jump off the page. She earned her BFA in Illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and mentored with illustrators such as Sean Qualls, Selina Alko and Dan Santat. When she is not drawing, she loves spending time with her wife, daughter, and two crazy cats Elphie and Ollie!

Editorial Reviews

"This gorgeous book is about more than hair. Hair becomes the vehicle for a conversation about identity, beauty standards, bias, relationships, self-love, and more. Ramos has created a picture book that touches upon identity as it is intertwined with other elements of life, all by celebrating hair types and styles." ―Lorena Germán, Co-Founder of the Multicultural Classroom, as well as Co-Founder of #DisruptTexts, and Chair of NCTE’s Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English.

From the Publisher

10/01/2021

K-Gr 3—Born with the rich curls of their Black and Puerto Rican ancestors, respectively, Rudine and Preciosa are bright stars for their families. As they grow, their families help them try to tame their hair, but it always returns to its natural, free state. As Rudine and Preciosa look at their surroundings, they find inspiration in the strength of their families and friends, who wear their hair proudly like a crown. Readers will learn about individuals throughout history when Rudine and Preciosa stop to admire a wall depicting individuals who also had afros like theirs. The lovely collaged tissue paper illustrations provide a beautiful appearance of texture on each page, and convey the joy Rudine and Preciosa carry. Additional information about the individuals depicted in the mural is included, along with a glossary of selected words and phrases. VERDICT A lovely lesson in loving and having pride in oneself, perfect for fans of Matthew Cherry's Hair Love and for any shelf seeded with positive messaging.—Selenia Paz, Harris County P.L., Houston

School Library Journal

2021-08-18
A story about two girls with curly/Afro-textured hair.

Best friends Preciosa and Rudine, both with brown skin and tight, vibrant curls, share this hair story. It begins with their births, both girls adored by their families. Conflict soon arrives in the form of “cyclone” hair that family members attempt to straighten. Preciosa’s and Rudine’s expressive faces, rendered in Morris’ colorful digital-and–collaged-tissue art (which excels at conveying emotion throughout the story), make it clear that hair-straightening rituals are both unpleasant and unwanted. Freedom comes in the form of heat that sets their natural hair free once more. At this point, the story may confuse readers with scenes (of the girls, of their moms, of famous Black and Latinx people) that aren’t always connected. Ultimately, this well-intentioned story leaves some important questions unanswered, but it also affirms the beauty of natural hair. Despite obstacles, those looking for more stories centering hair diversity may find this a good conversation starter. Preciosa and her family all have brown skin and speak Spanish, and Rudine and her family are Black; the story is porous enough that Afro-Latinx readers might see themselves in either girl.

Confusing but celebratory. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews