Nappy Hair - Hardcover

Carolivia Herron

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679879374 ISBN 13: 9780679879374

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1997

Synopsis

  You sure do got some nappy hair on your head, don't you?  Well.

It's your hair Brenda, take the cake. Yep.

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. The family delights in poking gentle fun with their hilarious descriptions, all the time discovering the beauty and meaning of Brenda's hair. Soulful, funny, full of rhythm, and bursting with family pride, Nappy Hair is accessible to people of all ages. Joe Cepeda's colors are ripe but youthful, sweet but bold--with lots of kid appeal. A must for reading aloud, Nappy Hair is a meaningful and completely captivating reading experience. Nobody who has nappy hair--or know someone with nappy hair--will be able to forget little Brenda!  

About this title

About the Author

Carolivia Herron lives in Chico, California.
Joe Cepeda lives in Rosemead, California.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 3. The title leaves no doubt about the focus of this picture book. At a family picnic, everyone pokes fun at the youngest girl's nappy hair. Devised as a call-and-response dialogue, the interchanges offer explanations and comments on why Brenda's hair is the nappiest, the curliest, the twistiest hair in the family. The answers involve African origins, God's intent, and pride in one's self; e.g., the Lord "looked down on this cute little brown baby girl" and said, "One nap of her hair is the only perfect circle in nature." The slightly exaggerated, colorful illustrations depict hair as wild and woolly as Don King's, and they comically embellish the message. The device of the multi-voiced dialogue, characterized in different type styles and sizes, rhythmically carries an ethnic flavor, but what's missing here is story. It's nice to see such familial unity but there's no strong narrative to reinforce that theme. Because the message is the entire point, the effect is akin to a one-joke book.?Julie Cummins, New York Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Uncle Mordecai calls out the story of Brenda's hair--the nappiest hair in the world--at the family picnic, while everyone else chimes in with affirmations: ``Yep,'' ``You said it,'' and ``Ain't it the truth.'' At first they think Mordecai is making fun of Brenda's hair; when he says that combing it out sounds like crunching through deep snow with two inches of crust on top, somebody says, ``Brother, you ought to be ashamed.'' But soon it's clear that his only purpose is celebration: ``One nap of her hair is the only perfect circle in nature,'' hair that is ordained by God Himself. The text, illustrations, and overall design of the book work exceptionally well together. Uncle Mordecai's narration is set in a serif typeface, with the interjected responses set in a variety of serif and sans-serif typefaces for emphasis. The exuberant gospel rhythm of the text is matched by Cepeda's bold, color-saturated paintings, particularly his renderings of little Brenda. She's clearly a child who stomps through life with a lot of spunk and energy. (Picture book. 3-5) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 5^-9. The cover painting of a little black girl with an impressive if not amazing head of hair will certainly attract attention, but the free-flowing, conversational narrative written in the African-American tradition of call-and-response also exerts a pull. The text touches on such topics as God, family, Africa, slavery, and, of course, hair: "Them some willful intentional naps you got all over your head. Sure enough. Your hair intended to be nappy. Indeed it did." The artwork, too, is energetic. Cepada's vibrant, folk-art-style paintings have a strong sense of color, form, and design. Librarians may want to have this unusual rhythmic book on hand for choral reading during Black History Month. Julie Corsaro

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0679879374
• ISBN 13: 9780679879374
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Joe Cepeda
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 32