I Love My Hair!

by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator)

A modern classic, this whimsical story has been celebrating the beauty of African-American hair for 20 years!

In this imaginative, evocative story, a girl named Keyana discovers the beauty and magic of her special hair, encouraging black children to be proud of their heritage and enhancing self-confidence.

I Love My Hair! has been a staple in African-American picture books for 20 years, and now has a fresh, updated cover that shines on the shelves!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cultural, African American, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Self Esteem

32 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1998

Reviews

[Mariah Roze · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book that easily explains all the options there is for doing hair. Also, it makes every style sounds awesome and beautiful. Very young girl self-empowerment.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little but important and empowering book - obviously as the title tells us, this is all about girls loving their hair, despite the pain that all that brushing and combing can involve.

Fun illustrations, accessible and meaningful for kids and a great resource for parents of young girls.

[Haji · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is an awesome book and a true mirror book for me! This would be a great book to teach about diversity, it is a very true example of what most little African American girls go through when getting our hair combed. It also explains how different are hair is and that we can change it as often as we like. Keyana's, mother in the book, uses different illustrations for different hair styles such as "or I can part your hair into straight lines and plant rows of braids along your scalp, the way we plant seeds in our garden. Then wait and watch them grow." That is indeed a technique that African Americans typically use to grow our hair. Her mom was teaching her valuable lessons In taking great pride for the way we can change our hair would. I would recommend this book for ages 3-8, so it would be for the early childhood grades.

[Teré Mashburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text-to-Self Connection:

This book reminds me of my childhood plenty. As a young girl my mother had to take care of my hair. Just like Keyana, my mother or grandmother would sit me between her legs as the moisturized my scalp and styled my hair. As a child I usually dreaded getting my hair done. At times it was unpleasant, especially if my hair was sometimes snagged while combing out tangled areas.

I love the how Keyana came to understand that her hair allowed so many diverse styles. As a child, I can remember asking my mother for a chemical relaxer which would have made my hair straight. She said it would ruin my hair and that I should enjoy the versatility of my hair texture because without chemically treating my hair I could wear it curly, poofy, braided or straight. That made me feel special, like I had the best of both worlds. From that day forward I appreciated and love my hair.

[Lindsey]

In this book, the little girl finds pride in her hair and all the ways that she can fix it.

I would use this book to teach diversity. I could use it during black history month or just in general to teach differences. It also teaches to be happy in the skin you're in.

[Robyn Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful book, a great way to have children look at the difference in hair and hairstyles,bring in mannequin heads and have the children pretend to be in the barbershop and hair salon and style the hair on the mannequins, the next day their can be a hair show, showcasing all the styles

[Linn J · Rating 4 out of 5]

En bilderbok om afro tjockt hår - eller hur man nu benämner afrikanska folkets hår - för det är vad denna bok handlar om. Att afrikanska folket - afroamerikansk/afro europé mm. - ska vara stolta över sitt tjocka hår som kan vara svårt att tämja, men som man kan kreativt forma på alla olika sätt. Det finns speciella flätor, afro frisyren som ser ut som en boll/jordklot, rakt mm. Ja allt möjligt. Man ska vara stolt och glad över det, fast det kan göra ont att kamma ut det hela...

En fin bilderbok som jag "läste" via Netflix serien - "Bookmarks".

[Morgan Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Love My Hair is the story of a young black girl who learns to find pride in her hair, even though it hurts sometimes when her mother combs it.

This book was excellent at showing the different expressions and emotions that African American girls have in real life when it comes to their hair. It also connects to all children, teaching them to love who they are and where they come from.

[Gianni Llano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a young girl who learns to accept her hair. As females, we all have to learn to embrace ourselves, which is why I recommend this book be read to all young girls.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming story about a little girl and the reasons why she loves her hair. Sometimes though, having her hair brushed can be painful and Keyana doesn't like her hair then. But her Mama tells her how beautiful her hair is, and as she fixes Keyana's hair, she tells her stories of the past. Keyana tells her own stories about the reasons why she loves her hair, and through her stories we are transported into a world of dreams, belonging, and becoming!
This is great read-aloud for young children because they can easily identify with the main character. A discussion about the things that they love about themselves will inspire young writers to draw and write. This book can also allow students the freedom to express why they love their hair, their eyes, their hands, and their skin. Is it because they look like the people that love them the most? This story also draws on traditions, cultural identity, and how we determine what we like about ourselves. Keyana loves her hair because her mother has taught her about her rich cultural heritage. I highly recommend this book in kindergarten classrooms to engage students in powerful conversations about what they love about themselves. These conversations will generate ideas for portrait drawing and journal writing.

[Gabrielle Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text- to -Text Connection

This was an impressive book. I love that the author expressed how hair is different. This book also reminds me of another book tilted Hair Love. Both books talked about a little Black girl getting her hair combed and how both were sometimes tender headed that means their scalp was sensitive in areas. Both books pointed out how your hair does not define you it allows you to express your personality. sometimes the girls wore beads, other times they were corn rolls. Other times they let their hair be free. I love these two books because both can teach our little brown girls to appreciate their hair and not be ashamed of it. The authors both showed all throughout the book the unique styles and how to be proud of your crown. This world need books like this so other can read and appreciate our cultures and our hair.

[Tc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific book with lovely illustrations. I can see this book being used for text-to-self comparisons. Every little girl hates having her hair brushed no matter what type of hair. It would be terrific to just read this book without having an emphasis on differences, but similarities. This would be a lot of fun to use as a language/literacy and arts lesson. Print pictures of all students and have them each use supplies to make different hair on themselves. They can then write about their pictures. Imagine the wonderful take home creations!

[Marisa Severin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent to teach young African american children about self-love. It teaches one to appreciate who they are. It was also wonderfully illustrated. I love it.

[Courtney Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE the story as well as the illustrations throughout the book!

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love My Hair! By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley is a book level 3.3

Summary: This story starts off with a little girl getting her hair combed out by her mother, it gets very painful but her mom reminds her of how lucky she is to have this hair. She then goes into all the different ways she can wear her hair and how much she loves that she can do this. This book is a great way to boost the confidence of little kids who may feel insecure about the differences they have.

Book Genre: I added this book to 1) multi cultural because it discusses about an African American little girl and the hair she has. I also added this to my 2) picture book shelf because the story has many pictures and each page is dedicated to a new picture. 3) realistic-fiction, although the story describes this little girls hair in unrealistic ways the story itself and the main concept is a very realistic story.

Mentor Trait: The first mentor trait I added was 1) voice, the little girl does such a wonderful job describing her point of view and her feelings about the hair she has. 2) word choice, as the little girl describes her point of view she does a wonderful job of using descriptive words to make her hair come alive.

Classroom Integration: There are a variety of ways this story could be used in the classroom to help teach on writing strategies, however, I am going to focus on voice and word choice on this teaching. You could begin one lesson by reading this story and stopping periodically to ask who they think this books point of view is in. Students could then lead a discussion on how stories can be more enticing if we pick a tone, purpose and connection in our writing. Our writing comes alive by doing these things and by taking risks on choosing a viewpoint. From there students could go back and write about something they love about themselves by choosing a tone, purpose and connection they may want to make with this. Then the next day we could go back and reread the story and talk about how well she describes the variety of ways she can wear her hair and all the descriptive words she used. Students then would go back to the same writing from the day before and revise it by adding enticing words.

[TAKISHIA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love My Hair is a beautifully written contemporary book about an African American girl's acceptance of her hair. This book won the Coretta Scott King award. I can relate to this story because I hated getting my hair done as a little girl! The book was written for children from age 3 through 8. The book is beautifully illustrated, and I loved the picture of the hair accessories that we grew to either love or hate as a child. This book brought back memories for me and will do the same for most readers. The book details the nightly rituals of a mother doing her daughters (Keyana)hair. Keyana does not like getting her hair done, but the mother gently tells her daughter to be grateful for her beautiful hair. The mother weaves a picturesque story for her daughter that may have begun in her bedroom but reaches out into the neighborhood about the wonders of her hair. Her mother talks of cornrows and hair buns and all the beauty of her daughter's hair hoping that her daughter will accept her hair's beauty. The book is very intimate between mother and daughter, and in other ways, it can be shared by a group. The text of the book is more appropriate for an experienced reader, but can be read to younger children as well. The illustrations tell the story even if the child is not fully at the age to read alone. I love how a child can read this book and begin to feel good about themselves. This is a common thread with a lot of little girls today with their hair. I believe that after reading this book that little girls all over the globe sitting between their mother's knees will begin to see the beauty of the experience as they journey from indifference to acceptance with Keyana.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Response:
Tarpley, Natasha Anastasia. I Love My Hair!. Little, Brown and Company, 1998. 24 p. Gr. Pre-K-3.

The reader is presented with a positive celebration of the African American race and culture through this picture book. The narrator, Keyana, reflects upon her experiences with her Mama, as she combs and styles her hair each night. Through the pages of the book, Keyana relays stories that her Mama taught her about her culture, history, and the reason for some of the hair styles she wears. Artwork in the book includes muted, full-bleed, photo-realistic watercolors on two-page spreads.

Reader response/classroom connections: This book could be utilized in the Pre-K–third grade classroom. The book would be a tremendous addition to a unit focusing on multiculturalism and would, work well in a text set with non-fiction and poetry books that celebrate African American culture, especially during 'Black History Month'. An interesting partner activity would be to ask students to conduct research about African American hair styles' origins and changes over time and how those styles relate to things that were happening to the people from that culture. A cross-comparison of another culture's hair styles (caucasian cultures) during those same time periods and what those people's lives were like could be a wonderful spring-board for difficult conversations about race struggles.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book affords the opportunity to consider in-school teasing, to celebrate difference, and to explore the many ways that children prepare for the coming school day at home. If used as a read aloud, show the whole book, but be sure to note that the endpapers are the same at the beginning and the end. Allow students to discuss why the endpapers are the same. Does this show that before and after Keyana experiences teasing that that her feelings about her hair were the same? Does it indicate that the basic items used in getting her hair done do not change? Let students be on the look out for other things are the same from beginning to end in this story. How does the many styles that Keyana's hair is able to be styled in relate to the unchanging theme (the same hair, many styles)? The artwork in this text is gorgeous and the glimpse that this book provides into the ordinary activity of an African American child and her family is special. The illustrations help readers (and listeners) make sense of common African American language for hair styles and build cultural knowledge about why some African American female students may be sensitive about others bothering their hair. These black girls know the backstory to how their hair became styled and now these black girls' classmates can gain access to this knowledge through this excellent book.

[John Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed E.B. Lewis' realistic illustrations and the way they invoked a genuine feeling of nostalgia. I also loved how the different styles the girl could wear her hair in were incorporated into the meaning in the illustrations. Like corn rows showing her head and a literal field with rows of crops is blended into the corn row braids on the girls head. My favorite one is the Afro Style where she says it can go which ever way it wants and my hair is round like a globe, so the illustration is half of her hair is the actual afro and half of it is a globe. This book helps African American girls who are upset that their hair takes too much maintenance. I appreciate the tender way the mother in this book got the girl to realize how great her hair was. She told her it was great because she can wear it in any style she wanted to, and then named some of the different styles. Then the girl tells us why she loves her hair. She tells us that it is soft, thick as a rain forrest, and as curly as vines. I thought it was great that the book started out with the girl being frustrated but then by the end we see that while she does get frustrated with her hair she loves it. I don't know if this is an issue with African American mothers with their daughters but I can only hope that this book would contribute in some way to putting a child at ease through literature.

[Amnah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator). The story about a young girl named Keyana. She has an African hair, so when Keyana's mom brushes her hair not hard but as soft as she can, but Keyana still feeling hurts. Therefore, Keyana comes to hate her hair and feel bad about it. When her mother noticed that, she started to remind her girl how her hair could be the best hair because you can do it any way you wants to. Then she shows different illustrations for different hair styles. For example, when her mother said " I can put your hair into straight lines and plant rows of braids along your scalp, the way we plant seeds in our garden. Then wait and watch them grow." after that Keyana comes to love her hair and she also finds many reasons to like her hair.


I like this book and I think it will be really helpful for all the African American girls who are upset about their hair. In addition, this would be a great book to teach about diversity for children. I would recommend this book for the early childhood grades such as between 4 to 10. This would be a great book to teach about diversity

The illustrations in this book are a great and perfect realistic illustrations. Also, I think the illustrations are also great and truly enhance the story. So, the illustrations and the text work together very greatly.

[Cortnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sweet story is about a Back girl’s struggles with feeling confident and comfortable with her hair. I have seen in my classroom how challenging it can be for students that don’t have Black hair to understand what it is like to style it. I have even had some students jealous of my students with Black hair while my students with Black hair are simultaneously jealous of students with straight hair. I think if books like this, that give power and respect to Black hair, were more available as windows and mirrors for students that divide between hair would be less apparent.
This book does a great job of illustrating and bringing alive the way the girl in the story styles her hair with her mom and her different options, especially for people that will never have the experience like myself. I imagine the story is also empowering and brings beauty to Black hair because of the uplifting and positive descriptions of each style. The illustrations in this story also bring the hair styles alive as the background bleeds together the girl's hair and the landscapes. This is seen when her cornrows blend with the rows of crops in a field or her afro blends with an image of the earth in space. I would love to have more books like this available to students in my classroom!

[Tabatha Mulkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Kenyana knows she has special hair and she loves it. This book is to make all African American girls to feel good about their hair and love it even though it is different.

Evaluation: I like this book because it is simple, but powerful. It means a lot for an African American little girl to know she is different, but still feel good about herself. I think this could have a huge impact!!

Teaching Idea: I would let my African American students read this book so they could feel good about themselves. I would maybe use it as a read aloud at the beginning of the school year and show that it is okay to be different. We would talk about how there are differences between all of us. We will list differences on the board.

[Lineth Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was inspiring! I truly enjoyed reading it and being able to follow the mother's thoughts of her daughter's hair. The mother reminds her that her hair is part of her heritage and that she is lucky to have such hair because, she can style it anyway she desires. The illustrations include watercolors and add an emphasis to the young girl's hairstyles. This allows the readers or viewers to follow along with the many hairstyles she is able to wear. As an educator, this book can be used to discuss geography, culture, identity, environments, and freedom. In history's past, wearing an Afro was a way to stand up for what the person believed in- this books reassures a message for all children about the importance of appreciating what they look like as part of who they are.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about a young girl finding self-empowerment and community connection through the many ways she can wear her hair. I'm particularly interested in the ways that Tarpley and Lewis connect hair to the natural world, especially in the second to last image of Keyana standing with her back against a tree at dusk, with her hair indecipherable from the the vines on the tree. A great picture book!

[Taylor B|books.withtay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for African-American girls who have "unmanageable" hair. it normalizes black children and their hair, which is something little girls need, especially in this society. I admired this book truly, because I was not always accepting of my natural hair. Now, I love it! But I didn't always. The book is unique in that it captures the importance of a little girl's hair by showing different types of hair styles that can be done to little girl's hair.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story of acceptance for a very real important detail in the lives of young girls, their hair. This book shows the beauty in difference and can help girls to feel confident in themselves. The picture and text relationships that Natasha provides can really help to create a sense of identity and adventure for any girl that thinks their hair is more of a burden than a gift. Great read for young readers.

(Seen as an ebook.)

[Rikki Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for teaching body positivity and acceptance of natural hair. It starts by describing care given to african hair, and then the following pages are about accepting and loving her beautiful hair. It also mentions bullying, a very real problem, but the adult takes time to reinforce the beauty lf natural hair. Great message. It can be read to young children or read independently by children in upper elementary grades.

[SaraLaLa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title of this book implies, it celebrates a little girl's hair. It touches on how she and her mom bond over the maintenance of her hair (even though it can hurt when her mom brushes it) and how she can wear it in a variety of styles. The afro has history behind it but she likes to wear it with beads and hear the beads clacking together.

[Brittany Houston]

This book promotes healthy and positive self-esteem and cultural identity. Children should feel comfortable with who they are, in order to feel comfortable enough to learn and play in a classroom setting.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so beautifully illustrated, and it goes through all the ways black girls can wear and love their natural hair.

Read for me by Tiffany Haddish in the NetFlix series Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices