ERANDI'S BRAIDS

DePaola’s signature rounded characters and folk-influenced palette invigorate this slim Mexican folktale. The next day will be Erandi’s birthday, and though she would love a new dress for the upcoming village fiesta, she isn’t expecting much. But Erandi’s hardworking Mamí is determined to buy her something special. “We will pay the best prices for your hair. Come to Miguel’s Barber Shop tomorrow,” a loudspeaker on the street beckons, giving Mamí an idea of what she must do to ensure her daughter a happy day. At first, Erandi is frightened—whose hair will Mamí sell? Mamí tries to sell her own hair, but the barber says it is not long enough; this selfless act gives Erandi the courage to sell her own hair, and in the end, she earns a dress and a doll. Although the storyline—equating the cutting of hair with sacrifice, as it was for O. Henry’s young couple and Alcott’s Jo—is not entirely new, dePaola’s work transports readers to the innocence and austerity of a timeless Mexican village. (Picture book. 4-7)