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Bippity Bop Barbershop
In this companion book to the bestselling "I Love My Hair!, " a young boy, 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.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2002
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187 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 28, 2009
Author Natasha Anastasia Tarpley is the author of the children’s book, I Love My Hair, and author of the adult books, Girl in the Mirror and Testimony. She is the winner of the 1999 Black Board Children’s Book of the Year, amongst other awards. She resides in New York.
Illustrator E.B. Lewis is the illustrator for the children’s books: I Love My Hair, The Bat Boy and His Violin, and Down the Road- Which was named a Notable Book for Children by the American Literary Association. His work is frequently exhibited in galleries throughout the U.S. He resides in New Jersey.
This children’s book, directed to kids 2-6, follows Miles and Daddy through their everyday morning rituals, with a surprise- Miles is getting his first haircut!
I found this to be a delightful book. The illustrations, done in watercolor, are just beautiful and eye-catching. I think this should be a necessity in every salon and barbershop that sees children. It not only displays the great relationship and routine between father and son, but shows kids how getting a haircut is not so scary. It addresses fear on their level and works through it.
Bippity Bop Barbershop is a beautifully illustrated and superbly written children’s story!
Illustrator E.B. Lewis is the illustrator for the children’s books: I Love My Hair, The Bat Boy and His Violin, and Down the Road- Which was named a Notable Book for Children by the American Literary Association. His work is frequently exhibited in galleries throughout the U.S. He resides in New Jersey.
This children’s book, directed to kids 2-6, follows Miles and Daddy through their everyday morning rituals, with a surprise- Miles is getting his first haircut!
I found this to be a delightful book. The illustrations, done in watercolor, are just beautiful and eye-catching. I think this should be a necessity in every salon and barbershop that sees children. It not only displays the great relationship and routine between father and son, but shows kids how getting a haircut is not so scary. It addresses fear on their level and works through it.
Bippity Bop Barbershop is a beautifully illustrated and superbly written children’s story!
June 17, 2024
I loved this book! Nice balance of everything a picture book should entail. Well done NAT 👏
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October 27, 2017Bippity Bop Barbershop by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley. This fictional book is about this little boy named Miles going to get his first haircut with his father. This story follows this beautiful bond that a son has with his dad. A boy's first haircut is special and this book convey's all those special moments nicely. The boy looks up to his father so much that he wants to look like him when he gets his haircut. I like that the book at a lot of repetitiveness in the text. When reading to the younger kids they love when they can join along in helping you read. The Illustrations done by E.B. Lewis looked really good. They were water colors and he chose a lot of red to make the book pop. This fits my topic perfectly because almost every african american boy has experienced their first trip to the babershop and what that was like. They will be able to relate a lot to this book.
March 28, 2018
I truly enjoyed this book. This book is so realistic and relatable. I’d definitely have this book inside of my future classroom!
February 17, 2020
This was highlighted by the library for Black History Month and it was a good read. Kait got really into the whole clippers/ear injury thing.
July 3, 2019
7/1/2019 ~ A celebration of a boy's first trip to the barbershop, especially a Black barbershop. Though the book is 20 years old, the illustrations don't feel dated.
See the author's companion book I Love My Hair
Why I read this book:
https://medium.com/@katieishizukastep...
See the author's companion book I Love My Hair
Why I read this book:
https://medium.com/@katieishizukastep...
November 15, 2023
This book is for 2nd or 3rd grade.
This book is good for a classroom library because it shows another dad with their son. In the book it mentions the mother is still sleeping but this book is about the son and father spending time together. The son wants to be just like his dad when he gets a hair cut.
This book is good for a classroom library because it shows another dad with their son. In the book it mentions the mother is still sleeping but this book is about the son and father spending time together. The son wants to be just like his dad when he gets a hair cut.
June 29, 2017
A companion book to I LOVE MY HAIR by the author, featuring a father and son. The story is about the son getting his first haircut. The boy seems a little old for a first haircut. However, the author did a great job of capturing what happens in African American barbershops.
March 22, 2018
This was a cute book about a boy and his dad, and it also gave some cultural insight into the black community and barbershops and how they have become community gathering places. There wasn't anything ground breaking or spectacular about the book, but it was sweet and I liked it.
May 4, 2020
Such a cute book. I think of this kind of a coming of age book in the sense of the main character going through something for the first time which has made him older. I would love to read this book before my son gets a haircut to get him ready.
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June 28, 2022This is another beautifully illustrated story that introduces little boys to going to the barbershop and what to expect once they get there. The story is well written and it draws children in keeping the captivated with it.
September 12, 2017
I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book! The story itself was also great! I love stories that are about overcoming fears and growing up.
January 16, 2018
Cute book
Loved the illustration too
Reminds me of when my first son got his haircut
Loved the illustration too
Reminds me of when my first son got his haircut
February 21, 2018
The story of the ritual of a young boy's first haircut at a real barbershop. The story captures the rite of passage that comes with joining the fold of the neighborhood barbershop.
February 22, 2018
What an awesome story about a first hair cut. The ritual that is established between a dad and son warms my heart. Great story for young boys.
October 1, 2018
Beautiful story of father and son.
July 9, 2019
This was incredibly sweet. Really enjoyed the story and working through the fear of a first haircut.
February 5, 2022
I absolutely enjoyed reading this to my son several
times! Great work indeed!
times! Great work indeed!
February 28, 2022
Miles learns to be brave like his dad for his first haircut.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2020
I loved the illustrations - especially his grin after he sees his hair. Wonderful description of a child's first haircut and the community that celebrates this with him. Really great details and a lot of understanding that this can be a scary event!
Read
April 5, 2019I enjoyed reading this book. I like how the book makes the reader aware in the very first page that the boy also has a mother and sister so that assumptions aren't made about him being a son of a single father. However he spends time with his dad by going to the barber shop. The barber shop is an important place for black boys and black men. This is the place where boys learn about loyalty and other things in life. In the black community, men usually stick to one barber. So it was cool to see his dad taking him along to the barbershop. This book would be a great read aloud and it appropriate for elementary students. Students will be able to relate with this storyline. The illustration is realistic and will definitely capture children's interest. This characters in the book also speak in a way that expresses their culture. This book is a realistic fiction book.
November 2, 2008
Synopsis
A young African-American boy must learn to be brave on his first big boy haircut at the local barbershop.
Review
This sweet story is told through the eyes of a four year old boy. The reader deciphers the confusing events right along with him. The boy's shyness and fear are as endearing as the father-son relationship.
This book was intended to be a follow-up to the acclaimed I Love My Hair! which is a celebration of African American hair and the mother-daughter relationship. The book highlights African-American hairstyles and all the characters are black. But I think it's appeal could stretch beyond race lines. The main draw backs of the book is that it's a little text heavy for a younger audience and the specific events might not have broad appeal for children.
Critical Reviews
Booklist
Booklist really appreciated the warm father-son relationship shown in this book. It also liked the soft watercolor paintings more than I did. But, mainly, it appreciated the child-centric aspect of the book.
Kirkus
Kirkus focuses on the atmosphere created in the book. It tries a little hard to use some "hip" language, probably because of the race of the characters. But it does appreciate the "safe haven" presented in the book.
Other Bibliographic Information
Published in 2002 by Megan Tingly Books
32 pages
A young African-American boy must learn to be brave on his first big boy haircut at the local barbershop.
Review
This sweet story is told through the eyes of a four year old boy. The reader deciphers the confusing events right along with him. The boy's shyness and fear are as endearing as the father-son relationship.
This book was intended to be a follow-up to the acclaimed I Love My Hair! which is a celebration of African American hair and the mother-daughter relationship. The book highlights African-American hairstyles and all the characters are black. But I think it's appeal could stretch beyond race lines. The main draw backs of the book is that it's a little text heavy for a younger audience and the specific events might not have broad appeal for children.
Critical Reviews
Booklist
Booklist really appreciated the warm father-son relationship shown in this book. It also liked the soft watercolor paintings more than I did. But, mainly, it appreciated the child-centric aspect of the book.
Kirkus
Kirkus focuses on the atmosphere created in the book. It tries a little hard to use some "hip" language, probably because of the race of the characters. But it does appreciate the "safe haven" presented in the book.
Other Bibliographic Information
Published in 2002 by Megan Tingly Books
32 pages
March 6, 2013
Bippity Bop Barbershop is a fictional story about a young boy who is going to the barbershop with his dad for the first time ever to get a haircut. He is excited upon first going tot the barbershop, but then he becomes frightened once he is actually put in the chair and about to go through with getting his hair cut. His dad and the other guys in the barbershop convince him that if he is able to be brave he will see the barbershop isn’t a scary place at all.
I would use this text in my classroom to show students that common cultural experiences can seem scary at first, but after trying something different you may find that things are not always what they seem. Students could interact with the text in learning exactly what a trip to the barbershop encompasses.
Natasha A. Tarpley is the author and she is also the author of another book in which she tells a story that helps young children learn to deal with the hair that they got and what traditions they may encounter with just their hair alone. Tarpley uses common situations to positively reflect what a scary experience can potentially be. This relates well to my topic because it discusses hair issues that a male can face, giving gender variation to the talk about hair.
I would use this text in my classroom to show students that common cultural experiences can seem scary at first, but after trying something different you may find that things are not always what they seem. Students could interact with the text in learning exactly what a trip to the barbershop encompasses.
Natasha A. Tarpley is the author and she is also the author of another book in which she tells a story that helps young children learn to deal with the hair that they got and what traditions they may encounter with just their hair alone. Tarpley uses common situations to positively reflect what a scary experience can potentially be. This relates well to my topic because it discusses hair issues that a male can face, giving gender variation to the talk about hair.
October 19, 2016
Bippity Bop Barbershop by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley was an interestingly fantastic book. I think it is a perfect book to read to a nervous little boy who is getting a haircut for the first time. Also, it is a great book to introduce bravery. The illustrations are amazing and very vivid. The illustrations make the book come alive and I love how detailed each character is. Reading this book took me back to the times when I accompanied my dad or my male cousins to the barbershop. This book only shows one perspective from a little African American boy. However, the book does represent how important dads are in a child's life, especially a father and son relationship. I like how this is a father and son book with African Americans because I think African American fathers rarely get any recognition. Furthermore, the characters in book show the a diverse representation of individuals you would see in this culture and typical individuals you would see in a barbershop. No negative stereotypes, in my opinion, were represented in this book. I like how the author is apart of the group represented in this book.
March 9, 2015
This realistic fiction book, a young African- American boy named Miles goes to the barbershop for the first time with his father. Initially, Miles is apprehensive and afraid of getting his first haircut but gets through it with the support of his father and the others at the barbershop.
Tarpley offers this relatable and realistic tale of a child’s first haircut. However the text has an African-American focus which she executes so well by taking the main character to a setting that is familiar within the African- American culture. She includes various real-life situations, along with life-like illustrations which makes it easy for the readers to connect with. Although the book focuses on the African-American culture, readers of all backgrounds can connect with this book because it presents a topic that is common for many. It is such a sweet story, and is appropriate for readers of all ages.
Tarpley offers this relatable and realistic tale of a child’s first haircut. However the text has an African-American focus which she executes so well by taking the main character to a setting that is familiar within the African- American culture. She includes various real-life situations, along with life-like illustrations which makes it easy for the readers to connect with. Although the book focuses on the African-American culture, readers of all backgrounds can connect with this book because it presents a topic that is common for many. It is such a sweet story, and is appropriate for readers of all ages.
June 17, 2016
*This book is about a little kid receiving his first haircut at the barbershop. He wakes up excited and gets ready dressing just like his father. They get some breakfast and head to the shop. The men inside the shop hear its his first time in there and tell him to be brave. He finally gets called to the barber chair and hears the clippers and gets scared. His dad comforts him and helps him get through it and when he is finished his dad gets the same haircut as his son to make him feel even better.
*The theme is to face your fears and even if you get scared you can still overcome it with a little help.
*I don't actually remember my first haircut in a barbershop, but I remember going to my barber when I was younger, his name was Mike and is a great friend of mine and made it fun every time I went.
* I recommend this book because it was a very realistic account of how the barbershop is. It teaches kids to stand up to their fears in a practical and relatable way.
*The theme is to face your fears and even if you get scared you can still overcome it with a little help.
*I don't actually remember my first haircut in a barbershop, but I remember going to my barber when I was younger, his name was Mike and is a great friend of mine and made it fun every time I went.
* I recommend this book because it was a very realistic account of how the barbershop is. It teaches kids to stand up to their fears in a practical and relatable way.
September 26, 2018
I LOVE THIS BOOK! It's hard enough to find positive representation/affirmation books for black girls, so you can only imagine how rare it is to find books specifically for black boys! A black boy's first haircut is so monumental for him, and this book makes it seem less scary, and more fun. The illustrations accurately depict every moment of the haircut, from waiting to choosing what haircut you'd like. Going to the barbershop for black boys, is therapeutic, just like going to the salon as a black women like myself. There are other men and boys there, and the barber is usually a kind man that you can talk to, which makes this book seem so realistic. I also love the positive representation of a black father in the book, as well, because so many black children's books only show the mother, which can be very stereotypical. All around this book is realistic, interesting, helpful, and relatable to black boys. They deserve more books like this.
April 29, 2015
Bippity Bop Barbershop is written by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and illustrated by E.B. Lewis. This children’s book is about a boy named Miles who goes to a barbershop to get his first haircut. Miles is very scared to get his hair cut for the first times because of the scissors and the buzzing razor. Throughout the book, his dad, the barber, and the other men hanging out in the barber shop help him to not be so scared, and with their help, he gets his first haircut. I love this book because this fear is something a lot of kids can relate to when going in to get their first haircut. The way the dad in the book helps Miles be courageous is very cute and the illustrations by E.B. Lewis are amazing. They are so vivid and beautiful. I think elementary school aged kids will absolutely love this book.
December 8, 2015
Miles wakes up eagerly one morning because he knows today is the day he gets his first hair cut at the barbershop. When Miles gets to the barbershop everyone keeps telling him to be brave, but he isn’t sure how. When the barber starts to use clippers on Miles he gets scared, but his dad tells him how to be brave.
I found this book adorable! Majority of children will be able to connect to this book since their parents are their role models. Every kids first haircut is also a big moment, so this book would be great to read to your child before their haircut. However the aim of this book would be very young, around 3-6 years old.
This book could in incorporated into a lesson on cultural backgrounds, given the atmosphere of the barbershop, or learning how to be brave for younger students in kindergarten or first grade.
I found this book adorable! Majority of children will be able to connect to this book since their parents are their role models. Every kids first haircut is also a big moment, so this book would be great to read to your child before their haircut. However the aim of this book would be very young, around 3-6 years old.
This book could in incorporated into a lesson on cultural backgrounds, given the atmosphere of the barbershop, or learning how to be brave for younger students in kindergarten or first grade.
April 26, 2015
Miles goes to the barbershop for his first haircut. However, Miles is scared of the scissors, the buzzing razor, and picking out a new hair style. With the help of his dad, the barber, and other men in the shop, Miles gets his first haircut. His dad and the other guys in the barbershop convince him that if he is able to be brave he will see the barbershop isn’t a scary place at all. This would be a good book to use in the classroom to show students that similar cultural experiences can be scary at first, but after trying, you may find that they are not that scary at all. Students could relate well with the young boy, because trying new things can be intimidating, but by reading that the young boy ended up being okay, it may make students more comfortable with new experiences.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews