Black Hair in Children's Literature

The Adventures of Little Miss Crazy Hair - The Girl with Curl, is the story of a girl and her best friend, her dog Duke, who go on daily adventures created by how Little Miss Crazy Hair decides to wear her hair for the day.

This joyous and loving celebration of family is the first-ever picture book to highlight Black nighttime hair traditions--and is perfect for every little girl who knows what it's like to lose her bonnet just before bedtime.

For any little one struggling to fit in at school, who may be teased because of her hair.

A young girl learns to love her difficult-to-manage, voluminous and boonoonoonous hair.

Charles, who is Black and Irene, who is white, work together on their fifth-grade poetry project. The authors use poems to explore this premise to delve into different experiences of race. One of the topics is touching Charles' hair.

In the setting of what appears to a jungle, the "Wild Waiyuuzee" is hiding from her "Shemama" who wants to capture and tame her using water, oil, plaits, and beads to tame The "Wild Waiyuuzee's" hair.

African-American boys will love seeing strong, happy reflections of themselves in this vibrant, rhythmic picture book celebrating a diversity of hip black hairstyles. From a 'fro-hawk to mini-twists and crisp cornrows, adorable illustrations of boys with cool curls, waves, and afros grace each page, accompanied by a positive call-and-response affirmation that will make boys cheer. It's a great read-aloud to promote positive self-esteem to boys of all ages, building and growing the foundation of self-love (and hair love!) and letting every boy know that "You are born to be awesome!"

A collection of poems, including First Braids, Grandma's Way, and Mama's Glory, in which an Afro-American girl celebrates herself, her family, and her heritage.

"Daddy", she asks, "will you please do my hair?" Join Daddy and Beth on a wonderful hair adventure in this heart-warming story, which celebrates the unique and special relationship between a father and child.

A picture book that teaches the importance of asking for permission first as a young girl attempts to escape the curious hands that want to touch her hair. Aria has had enough!

Emi is a creative 7-year-old girl with a BIG imagination. In this story Emi shares a positive message about her Curly, Coily, Cotton Candy Hair and what she likes most about it.The vibrant illustrations and fun story teach basic natural hair care techniques and tips in a playful and memorable way.

When Marcus's mother has chemotherapy for her cancer and loses her hair.

Hair Like Mine is a fun and easy read following a little girl who doesn't like that her naturally curly hair looks different from the other kids around her. On her quest to find someone with hair like hers, she soon realizes we are all unique and special in our own way.

Zuri knows it's beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her -- and her hair -- happy. Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair -- and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.

Happy Hair is a call and response book that promotes positive self-esteem and hair love to girls of all ages. Happy Hair covers different shades and hair types all while being fun and fashionable.

Illustrated by Chris Raschka. From famed black feminist, social critic and adult author, bell hooks, and award-winning author and illustrator Chris Raschka, comes this celebration of the beauty and joy of nappy' hair.

No matter how gently Mama pulls as she combs Keyana's hair, it still hurts.Keyana doesn't feel lucky to have such a head of hair, but Mama tells her she is because she can wear it any way she chooses.

Isabella, a young Afro-Boricua girl lives in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Isabella struggles with understanding the beauty of her natural hair and the color brown. Incl. vocabulary with Spanish translation.

Jordan believes God made a mistake on him because of his hair texture. This book teaches an invaluable lesson in love and self-esteem for children ages 4-8.

Follow Zara's journey as she learns to love her 'kinky hair' with the guidance of her grandmother, who gives her a few uplifting and encouraging words about her hair, history, and culture.

Its wash day and Zara is not excited about wearing her hair in the same styles Mama usually creates. But when Mama takes Zara on a cultural journey to help her understand the significance of each style, wash days will never be the same!

A young boy with an Afro celebrates his uniqueness in this precious and simple story about loving oneself and what makes us different.From 10-year-old debut author, Aiden M. Taylor, comes this self-styled and joyful narrative about feeling comfortable and letting the world know that he loves himself-and his Afro. Filled with vibrant and cheerful illustrations, this book is a perfect read-aloud.

Mira doesn't like her hair. It curls at the front. It curls at the back. It curls everywhere! She wants it to be straight and smooth, just like her Mama's. But then something unpredictable happens... A delightful celebration of natural hair and the courage it takes to be yourself.

Mom and Dad say I'm a blend of dark and light: "We mixed you perfectly, and got you just right." Mike has awesome hair. He has LOTS of energy! His parents love him. And Mike is a PERFECT blend of the two of them. Still, Mike has to answer LOTS of questions about being mixed. And he does, with LOTS of energy and joy in this charming story about a day in the life of a mixed-race child.

A young Muslim girl spends a busy day wrapped up in her mother's colorful headscarf from debut author and illustrator Jamilah Tompkins-Bigelow and Ebony Glenn. A khimar is a flowing scarf that my mommy wears. A young girl plays dress up with her mother's headscarves, feeling her mother's love with every one she tries on. Charming and vibrant illustrations showcase the beauty of the diverse and welcoming community in this portrait of a young Muslim American girl's life.

Join one little girl's search for the BEST party hair - as demonstrated by her family and friends. Will it be dreads or a twist out? Braids or a high-top fade? Joyous and vibrant, this captures perfectly the excitement of getting ready for a celebration, as well as showcasing a dazzling array of intricate hairstyles.

After a day of being taunted by classmates about her unruly hair, Mackenzie can't take any more and she seeks guidance from her wise and comforting neighbor, Miss Tillie.

A board book written in playful rhyme and illustrations of African-American children's hair reinforces a positive self-image and promotes an African-American standard of beauty.

My Hair is Fuzzy, My Hair is Cute tells us all that no matter the length, shape or texture of your hair, its your hair and that's what makes it great!

This little girl knows her hair is great just as it is. When people ask, "Why is your hair so BIG?" she answers, "Why isn't yours?" Her hair is soft, it protects her, it's both gentle and fierce. While some might worry about how it's different and try to contain it, she gives it the freedom to be so extraordinary it almost has a life of its own. Told in bold verse and vivid, fantastical illustrations, these critical questions will ring familiar, and the proud, confident answers show that what really matters is how readers see themselves.

A dedicated mom puts love into action as she creates the perfect rainbow-colored wig for her transgender daughter, based on the real-life experience of mother-daughter advocate duo Trinity and DeShanna Neal. Rainbow is a celebration of showing up as our full selves with the people who have seen us fully all along.

In a unique and vibrant picture book that uses the African-American call-and-response tradition, a family talks back and forth about adorable Brenda's hair--it's the nappiest, the curliest, the twistiest hair in the whole family.

Natalie's hair is really wild--and she likes it that way! A host of friendly animals agree, and they move right in. Inspired by the author's own childhood adventures with her hair, this playful fantasy will delight all girls and boys who resist having their tresses tamed.

Penny wanted to wear her hair "down" like all of the other girls in her class. She wondered why her friends had long straight hair and she did not. Feeling different made her feel sad. Penny's mom assured her that her hair is perfect. Just because her hair is different from her friends hair, it didn't mean that it was bad. Penny's mom decides to style her hair in puffballs, magic puffballs. Penny learns though a series of fun adventures, that wonderful and magical things happen when she wears her puffballs

Princesses of various Black hues are celebrated in drawings with a diversity of natural hairstyles and textures presented.

I love my fluffy, puffy curls. I'm so happy they are mine. When I believe in myself, They shimmer and they shine. Truly's magical, sparkling curls have the power to transport her to exciting new places.

Told in rhyming verse, this book shows puffy hair of all types and all walks of life. It includes people of Asian, Latina/o, Arab, and Jewish heritage, as well. This book uses authentic engaging people showing pride in their hair.

Come join Nikki on an adventure as she is transformed into an Egyptian queen, a Nigerian goddess, a Zulu warrior, and a Maasai girl. While young girls throughout the African Diaspora can relate to getting their hair braided in intricate styles, it is also an ancient ritual that is a large part of their history.

In this rhyming story, an African American girl hides when it's time to comb and braid her hair.

"Bad Hair Does Not Exist!/"Pelo Malo No Existe!" - is a book with an anti-bullying message that reinforces respect for individualism. Latinx and Black children are exposed to the divisive and bullying term, "bad hair," within their own communities.

Set in the spirit of a West African village, Bintou has four puffs in her hair. She wants braids like her older sister and other women in the village, instead of the four afro pulls. She learns a valuable lesson about what makes hair beautiful.

As Mama and Great-Grammaw skillfully weave and braid their children's hair into the intricate cornrow patterns of Africa, they retell fascinating tales of ancestral life in Africa and praise contemporary Black American activists

A Cuban girl transforms her long and unruly hair into a garden.

Caldecott Honor winner Rachel Isadora's gorgeous collages breathe new life into this classic tale, capturing Rapunzel's striking beauty and the lush African setting'a new home for this story'with wonderful details such as Rapunzel's long dreadlocks and the prince's noble steed'a zebra. Readers will delight in the vibrant illustrations, thrill at the appearances of the frightening sorceress, and chime in with the familiar line 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair?' as they follow this well-loved tale.

Because of teasing, Adé is a little girl who does not like her hair. Accompanied by her mother and aunts, she will gently discover the beauty of these sleeping butterflies on her head, until their final flight.

An empowering picture book from South Africa about a young girl who overcomes endless teasing

Miles, makes his first trip to the barbershop with his father. With the support of his dad, the barber, and the other men in the barbershop, Miles bravely sits through his first haircut.

Derrick Barnes' book using rhythmic poem illustrates the pride a Black young man has after he receives a dope cut at the neighborhood barbershop.

Furqan Moreno wakes up and decides that today he wants his hair cut for the first time. He picks a flat top fade! He wants his new haircut to be cool but when they get to the barbershop, he's a bit nervous about his decision.

When three brothers enter the barbershop with a note from their mother for their weekly haircuts, Sleepy Sam decides it's time to try something new and exciting and so heads out onto the street to gather styling suggestions from the passing townsfolk.

A boy describes his fun visit to the barbershop, including who he sees there, how they interact, and how the conversation is "different from talking anywhere else."

Madam C. J. Walker was beloved within her community for her philanthropy and for supporting the local YMCA, but she couldn't have done that if she weren't the first American female self-made millionaire, and one of the most successful African American business owners ever.

Hair comes in all colors, textures, and styles. Whether it is worn long or short, in braids or cornrows, or left natural in an Afro, hair plays a big part in who we are and how we feel about ourselves. In this inspiring book, Kelly Johnson's stunning photographs of girls wearing a range of hairstyles and the lyrical words of Dinah Johnson's poem celebrate African American hair in all its radiant variety.

Madam C.J. Walker wasn't just an inventor. She was also a political activist and businesswoman.Young readers will discover that she was not only fought for civil rights, but became one of the most successful African-American business owners ever.

A biography of the businesswoman who was born in poverty on a Louisiana plantation, founded her own hair care business, and made more money than any woman, black or white, had ever made before in America.

An inspiring picture-book biography of a woman who succeeded on her own terms. Born December 23, 1867, Sarah Breedlove Walker was the youngest and first free-born child of Minerva and Owen Breedlove of Delta, Louisiana. As sharecroppers, their lives were hard, but slavery had ended, and the Breedlove family was free. And if you were free, you could dream. VISION OF BEAUTY depicts Sarah Breedlove Walker's rise from a bleak world of poverty and discrimination to unprecedented success as an influential businesswoman and philanthropist.

Your hands-on guide to the best care for your child's hair. Renowned stylist Deborah Lilly shows parents the best ways to style and maintain African American boys' and girls' hair from infancy to the preteen years.

An auspicious debut examining the culture of hair from the Rona Jaffe Foundation Award-winning cartoonist. Hot Comb offers a poignant glimpse into black women's lives and coming-of-age stories as seen across a crowded, ammonia-scented hair salon while ladies gossip and bond over the burn. The titular "Hot Comb" is about a young girl's first perm--a doomed ploy to look cool and stop seeming "too white" in the all-black neighborhood her family has just moved into. In "Virgin Hair," taunts of "tender-headed" sting as much as the perm itself. "My Lil Sister Lena" shows the stress of being the only black player on a white softball team. Lena's hair is the team curio, an object to be touched, a subject to be discussed and debated at the will of her teammates, leading Lena to develop an anxiety disorder of pulling her own hair out.