MY HAIR IS MAGIC!

If hair could talk, this little brown-skinned girl’s exuberant Afro would have a lot to say.

This picture book’s unnamed first-person protagonist is constantly asked, “Why is your hair so BIG?” To which she answers, “Why isn’t yours?” Centering her own beauty and the uniqueness of her hair, she recounts, in verse, how people touch her hair and ask her other persistent, microaggressive questions. Appearing differently on every page—an accurate reflection of the versatility of highly textured hair—her magical locks are never the same color twice, exhibiting as much verve and life as the wearer does herself. In some illustrations, the little girl’s hair dominates the page; sometimes her coils emit music; sometimes they are composed of stylized, multicolored clouds or resemble rolling ocean waves in blues and greens. Engel’s rich, sometimes surreal illustrations abound with textures and colors—deep purples, royal blues, sunny yellows—that embody the protagonist’s unique personality. The creators’ notes indicate that both Marroquin and Engel have personal connections with hair that attracts a lot of attention. Engel even notes that, in her childhood, school bylaws required straightened hair. An excellent addition to a growing genre.

This uplifting, body-positive story will empower kids with highly textured hair to take pride in every inch of it.