DALIA'S WONDROUS HAIR / EL CABELLO MARAVILLOSO DE DALIA

One magical morning, Dalia awakes to find her hair has grown up toward the sky, “tall and thick as a Cuban royal palm tree.”

Throughout the day, to the shock of her neighbors, Dalia covers her wondrous hair with natural material from the environment around her in order to do something truly special, making for an imaginative story. She stuffs and squishes wild tamarind, coontie leaves and mud into her hair, turning it into a butterfly garden overnight. The mixed-media illustrations depict tender interactions between Dalia and the natural world, enhancing the feeling of whimsy. Further enriching the story is the appearance of flora and fauna specific to Cuba. The vibrant illustrations stretch across full pages, the deeply saturated colors and assured lines drawing readers’ eyes across each spread. The placement of the bilingual text is a little sporadic, at times being side-by-side and other times above-and-below, but the presentation of the book overall is excellent. A bilingual author’s note provides further information about the plants and animals referenced and presents instructions for creating one’s own butterfly garden.

A delightful account of one fanciful little girl’s enchanted day in Cuba.