I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley & illustrated by E.B. Lewis

 I Love My Hair!: Tarpley, Natasha Anastasia: 9780316525589: Amazon.com: Books

I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley & illustrated by E.B. Lewis

  • Fiction
  • Grade: 1st - 3rd
  • Awards: None
Summary:

I Love My Hair! is a story about a little girl names Keyana who learns all about the beauty and history of her hair. Her mother does her hair every night and sometimes it even hurts. Keyana's mother tells her that she is lucky to hair that is so beautiful and versatile. Keyana's hair can be spun and weaved into a puffy bun like her ancestors, braided in straight lines like seeds are planted in a garden, or styled in an Afro like the globe. She can add beads to her braids which makes music. Keyana was saddened when she got teased by the kids at her school, but the teacher comforted her by telling her the history of those who stood up for what they believed wearing their afros. Keyana loves her hair and her favorite style is two ponytails on each side of her head.  

Evaluation:

This story is a great book for the classroom because hair is such a big cultural factor for African Americans. Many children are accustomed to seeing straight, blond hair as the standard of beauty, but this book celebrates African American hair and its history. I would use this book in my classroom because it is a beautiful story and it is appropriate for second grade. This book could be used when teaching a unit on culture and diversity. This book talks about the beauty behind being African American and celebrating your hair which is a distinct feature that represents one's culture and background. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech

Image
  Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech Fiction Grades: 3rd - 5th Awards: Bluebonnet 2019-2020 Summary: Saving Winslow is a story about a boy named Louis and a newborn donkey named Winslow. One day, Louis' father brought Winslow home and Louis developed a deep connection with the donkey. Winslow was small and sickly and Louis did not have the best record for nurturing little animals, but he was determined to help Winslow survive. Louis began to form a deep connection with Winslow which distracted him from missing his brother who was serving in the army. Louis' neighbor, Nora, also deeply cares for Winslow, but she has suffered the loss of her baby brother and dog so she does not have faith that the sick donkey will survive. Winslow grows stronger and even gets in trouble for braying loudly until everyone discovers he was trying to bring attention to the crying baby. Winslow becomes ready to go back to Louis' uncle Pete's farm, but Louis doesn't want him to go. An animal c
Read more

Music Everywhere! by Maya Ajmera, Elise Hofer Derstine, & Cynthia Pon

Image
  Music Everywhere! by Maya Ajmera, Elise Hofer Derstine, & Cynthia Pon  Nonfiction Grades: Pre-K - Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Awards: None Summary: Music Everywhere! is a book about children who love music. The children make music by stomping, clapping, singing, and clapping. The children make music using lots of different instruments. The instruments are played in many ways like shaking, whistling, strumming, and thumping. The children think it's fun to play and perform and they can use music to show different moods. The children can play music in school, at home, or in their neighborhoods. The book ends by saying music brings people all over the world together and the children love it. Evaluation: Music Everywhere! would be a fun book to use in my classroom. This is an informational book on the Humanities. Music Everywhere! focuses on music and would be great for engaging students’ curiosity on the topic. This book provides a brief text with uncomplicated illustrations th
Read more

Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert

Image
  Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert  Poetry  Grades: Pre-K - K, 1st - 2nd  Awards: A Horn Book Fanfare List Selection, An IRA-CBC Teacher’s Choice, and A Redbook Children’s Picturebook Award Winner Summary:     Feathers for Lunch is an example of narrative poetry. This poem tells the story of a mischievous cat that escapes his house. He goes on the hunt for a wild lunch. The cat prowls the streets for different birds like the American Robin, Blue Jay, House Wren, and many more. The birds whistle a warning to each other and escape the cat’s clutches by flying away. All the cat catches are feathers for lunch. Evaluation:      I would use Feathers for Lunch in my classroom because this book meets the criteria for a good poem. The illustrations reflect the content of the piece which can be seen through the depictions of the birds flying high in the trees and communicating with one another through whistles and chirping as they narrowly escape the cat’s claw. In addition, this poem gives ch
Read more