Hair for Mama [Hardcover]

Kelly Tinkham (Author), Amy Bates (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

It’s family picture time for the Carters, but Mama does not want to be in the photo this year. All of her beautiful hair is gone because of chemotherapy treatments for her cancer, and she doesn’t want to be remembered without hair. Eight-year-old Marcus knows that the picture won’t be the same without Mama, so he comes up with a plan to find her some hair and make her better. Even though the plan doesn’t work in quite the way Marcus expects, he comes to understand that “hair is nice to have, but not as nice as me having Mama and Mama having me.”

This is a story for every family dealing with a serious illness. It is told with a touch of gentle humor in a style that children will readily understand, and the warm and inviting illustrations will bring comfort and hope to young and old alike.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This story, straightforward and sweet, is nonetheless heart-wrenching. Marcus' mother does not want to be in this year's family photograph; she has lost her beautiful long, braided hair to chemotherapy treatments. When Marcus goes to get his face trimmed for the picture, he asks the barber to cut all his hair off so he can give it to Mama. Before he knows it, the hair has been swept up and thrown away, but now Marcus looks like Mama. She is so touched that she wraps her head in a gele and sits for the family photo. Told in Marcus' tender yet energetic first-person voice, this offers explanation as well as story, as the boy describes cancer and chemotherapy. Bates uses golds and browns, accented with blues and greens, for the warm images of this African American family. Without sentimentality, both text and art capture the fear, pain, and hope that come with chemotherapy for a family member. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Kelly Ann Sherwood was born & raised in Newaygo County Michigan. She completed her college education at Valley Forge Christian College with a degree in missions. Kelly married Mark Tinham in May 1987. They have two wonderful boys, Justin and Jarred.

As an author, Kelly has written articles for local newspapers and national magazines such as Faces. She completed training with the institute of children's literature.

Kelly makes author visits to schools and libraries. She works as a librarian at Newaygo area district library and is the reader for Carnegie on the road.

Most recently, Kelly released Hair For Mama in May 2007. Hair For Mama is a children's picture book published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a Division of Penguin Young Readers Group and illustrated by Amy June Bates.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (May 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803729553
• ISBN-13: 978-0803729551
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #414,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In 1998, my life was moving along at a wonderfully exciting pace. My husband and I were raising two super cute sons, and we were in the process of building our dream home. In the middle of this ordered chaos, I discovered I had cancer. The news knocked the wind out of me. I suddenly had more questions than answers. As I tried to share this news openly (and tearfully) with my boys, especially the visible problem of losing my hair, my oldest son (age 5), assured me that if I lose all my hair, he would simply give me his. Well...so much for holding back the tears! My book, Hair For Mama, is not my personal story during cancer treatment, but the type of story I had wanted to share with my children. The title and storyline did flow from those sincere and loving words my son offered to me. I am thankfully almost eight years cancer-free. My desire for those dealing with cancer is to share the story, Hair For Mama, with the young ones in their lives; and that they may face whatever comes down the road with love and hope together.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for kids!, August 31, 2009

By 

Eastern Orthodox Christian layman (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hair for Mama (Hardcover)

This is one of the best children's books I've ever read. The story is about a family coping with a serious illness, but more than that, it's about genuine, selfless, sacrificial love, and it's an incredibly beautiful story. It's a story that is certainly for children, but also so touching for the adult reading the story to the child. Very enjoyable for all, and a very touching story.