Description: Two starred reviews!
Joy hums from this "glorious...beautifully styled" (Booklist, starred review) picture book celebration of the richness of the African heritage behind braids, locs, cornrows, and all manner of crowning glory, from ancient times to present day--perfect for fans of Sulwe and We Are the Ship. With the lushest of language, a young girl getting her hair styled tells an overall history of African hair. Beads. Feathers. Cowries. Threads of gold. Ivory. Charcoal. Pearls. Bantu knots. Cornrows. Goddess Braids. Maps. Seeds. Afros. Clay. Dreadlocks. Woven with the greatest care. Across different African cultures. Everything rich with meaning. - Centuries of meaning! Hair! It's woven with history.- It is living art--can be adorned with intricate rings, mother of pearl, feathers.
- It is identity.
- It shapes community.
- It can speak to age, wealth, or power.
- It provided escape maps for the enslaved to follow when written word was forbidden. Woven with seeds, pearls, gold, it provided a way to survive after escape.
- And to many, it contains the soul. For centuries, people of African descent have faced prejudice and judgment over their hair. Backlash for their styles. Dictated to as to what styles are "acceptable". But author Sope Martins boldly, exquisitely, subverts this all in her celebration of African hair and its complicated, powerful heritage.
Brief description: Sope Martins is a Nigerian author of numerous children's books including The African Princess, Teju's Shadow, and The Greatest Animal in the Jungle. She is also a radio broadcaster. Hairstory is her picture book debut in the United States.
Review Quotes: A celebration of Black hair. A modern child getting her hair done explains that her braids are rooted in "centuries of meaning." [...]They are stories "told from mother / to daughter," "an ancient Road Map," "Tangled Strands / coaxed free with an Afro comb." Hair is art, beauty, identity, and more. [...] Uchendu's distinctive art makes dramatic use of light and dark, pattern, and distinctive palettes, creating a visual feast for readers to pore over, with several breathtaking spreads. Flipping through the pages to gaze at the beautiful styles is itself an awe-inspiring, confidence-boosting, and emotional experience. [...] A book to return to often, to build knowledge and foster pride. --Kirkus "February 1, 2026"