The Coolest Beard

by Betty Tekle, Nicholas Alexander (Illustrator)

Overview

Isaac can't grow a beard like his dad’s, but helping his community makes him the coolest kid at the barbershop.

Isaac wants to grow a beard, just like his dad, who always seems to be the coolest guy in the barbershop. Isaac uses Dad’s beard oil every day for weeks, but nothing happens. Next time it’s barbershop day, Isaac doesn’t even want to go back—but maybe there is still a way for him to grow the coolest beard.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807512913
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	06/22/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.00(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Betty Tekle is a marketer and storyteller who believes in the importance of teaching children tenderness and empathy. As an Eritrean American who immigrated at age twelve, she especially likes to write stories with diverse and multicultural characters. Betty is currently based in Los Angeles, California, but enjoys living a nomadic life.

Nicholas Alexander is a highly-driven artist who illustrates fun stories for the next generation of young readers, including The Tomorrowers. When he isn’t creating, he spends his time traveling to experience new cultures. He is proudly from Hampton, Virginia, and now lives in Los Angeles, California.

Editorial Reviews

05/08/2023

Fascination with a father’s facial hair—“as long as the slide at the park and as thick as the bushes in our backyard”—leads a child toward an appreciation of community care in this story of maturation. At the local barbershop, Isaac wants to listen in when the adults talk “grown folks’ business,” but Dad says he must wait until he’s older. Wanting to contribute, and understanding that “by the time you get a beard, you’ll be one of the grown folks,” the child begins secretly using Dad’s face oil to speed up the process. When the longed-for beard fails to materialize, Dad and others at the barbershop still find ways to make Isaac feel included, in both the Black-cued community and in the barber’s chair, reinforcing Tekle’s messaging about the importance of people helping one another. Realistic renderings are expressively animated, especially a standout montage that humorously envisions Isaac using his future whiskers for storing snacks and jumping rope. Ages 4–8. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Full of familial and community warmth, this is a book that will grow on readers."—Kirkus Reviews

"Dad and others at the barbershop still find ways to make Isaac feel included, in both the Black-cued community and in the barber's chair."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2023-01-25
A young Black child longs to have a long, full beard like his father’s.

Isaac and his dad often go to the barbershop, but Isaac isn’t allowed to listen while Dad and the others discuss “grown folks’ business,” like Mr. Williams’ recent accident. On the way home, Isaac asks his dad if he will have a beard of his own, and his father tells him that he will someday, when he is one of the “grown folks.” Impatient Isaac imagines what that will be like in a humorous series of illustrations that show him storing snacks in the beard, using it as a leash to walk his dog, Peetie, and jumping rope with it. When he notices his dad using beard oil to help his beard grow, Isaac spends the next six weeks oiling his face to no avail. At the next barbershop appointment, Isaac receives a surprise. As he sees his father giving money to Mr. Williams, who hasn’t been able to work since his injury, he learns that his dad’s beard may not be the coolest thing about him and that “grown folks’ business” means supporting one’s community. Accompanied by endearing cartoonlike illustrations, the book conveys Isaac’s admiration for his father, depicts him learning patience, and highlights barbershop culture—something many readers will find relatable. Characters throughout are Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Full of familial and community warmth, this is a book that will grow on readers. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews