Multicultural

Title: I Love My Hair!

Written By: Natasha Anastasia Tarpley

Illustrated by: E.B. Lewis

Appropriate for Grades K to 2

Multicultural

Have you ever had a good or a bad hair day? Have you ever been proud of the way you look or where you come from? Well, in I Love My Hair! By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, Keyana discusses the different hairstyles that her Mama does to her hair. See if she likes the different hairstyles and what some of her fellow peers think about her and her hair.

The book starts out with the nightly tradition, of combing the tangles out of her hair. When she cries that it hurts, her mother explains to her that she has beautiful hair and that she should be lucky to have the kind that you can do all different styles to. Her mother goes on and tells her that she can spin it into a fine, soft bun or "plant rows of braids" along her scalp, which caused Keyana to think of other things she likes about her hair. She goes on to say that at school her peers would tease her and she felt bad about herself, but her teacher made her feel better and told her a story about her hair being a blessing and that she should be proud of both her hair and her heritage.

The wonderful watercolor illustrations of this multicultural book show all different scenes whether it’s Keyana’s bedroom, the neighborhood streets, and the world as her mother's imagery becomes reflected in the art. Keyana's hair is spun on a spinning wheel, becomes part of rows of plants in a garden, and built into a globe of the whole world. Her favorite style, however, is two ponytails that flap with beads on each side of her head, and the final picture is of Keyana flying free against the blue sky. The pictures and the story itself reflect on child's world as she learns to be proud of her distinctive hair and her heritage.

You can incorporate this story into classroom instruction by having a lesson about self-acceptance as well as respecting others looks and heritages. Students can connect to this story by talking about what they love about themselves as well as what they like about their heritage. It is a great way for students to understand where other come from as well as accepting others and their own differences.

I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley would best be for students in grades K through 2. The Massachusetts ELA Frameworks that work for this book would be Key Ideas and Details & Integration of Knowledge and Ideas