BIG BOUFFANT

What seems to be a paean to originality finds itself in a snarl by the end. Sick of the same old–same old ponytails and braids, spunky, determined Annabelle declares, “This class needs some fashion. / This class needs some fun. / I’ll find a hairdo to impress everyone.” Discovering a picture of her grandmother gives her the idea she's been waiting for: “Oh, please, Mom, please, / can I have a bouffant? / A big bouffant is / all I really want!” The ungainly rhyming verse proceeds to describe Annabelle’s quest to achieve a bouffant and, predictably, the roomful of bouffants that appears once the new style catches on. Equally predictably, Annabelle immediately tires of her new style and begins to make plans for something brand new. The message here is not about a child discovering her identity or peers honoring one another’s differences; instead, Hosford suggests that most people will just mimic the bravest, most confident among them, which is more than a little sad. Nonetheless, Clifton-Brown’s whimsical illustrations manage to give the story a joyful spirit and will no doubt elicit some giggles and inspire a number of new bouffants, the bigger the better. (Picture book. 6-10)