STELLA'S STELLAR HAIR

An astronomically creative mix of science, fantasy, and African American culture.

Stella, a little African American girl, needs to prepare for the Big Star Little Gala, but her hair isn’t “acting right”: “It twisted and turned, zigged and zagged, made loopity-loops and lots of curly Q’s.” A huge, swirly mix of purples and pinks with squiggles of yellow and green, Stella’s hair often dominates the page and dwarfs the child. She asks Momma to help, but she sends her daughter instead to Aunt Ofelia on Mercury. Ofelia gives her a “poofy-smooth style”; on Venus, Auntie Alma creates a “royal lion’s mane”; Earth’s Aunt Rubi fashions her hair into an “elegant crown”; and so on. Stella proceeds throughout the galaxy and finally to the sun. At each stop, an aunt gives Stella a hairdo reflective of the aunt’s own style and personality, but none fits Stella. Once helpful advice from Auntie Solana on the sun helps Stella realize the key to happiness with her hair, Stella attends the gala, completely satisfied, along with all of her beautiful Black aunts, sporting their plethora of hairstyles. In Moises’ friendly cartoon images, the vibrant colors change with the location and the atmospheric conditions. The backmatter explains all the different aunts’ hairstyles by speculating what style would be best adapted to the environment of each locale, if humans could live there. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 26.5% of actual size.)

An innovative, refreshing, out-of-this-world tale about the incredible versatility of afro hair.