Customer Reviews

Nappy Hair (Dragonfly Books)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

There's nothing like reading a good controversial book before beddy-bye. I decided to check out the infamous "Nappy Hair", once considered so damaging by so few (and yet so vocal). So I flipped through it. Then I read it once. Then I read it twice. Then I tried turning it upside down and reading it from back to front because I just couldn't see how anyone could raise a ruckus over such a great little old story. The fact of the matter is, ladies and gentlemen, that this is a great book. A fun to read tale of accepting one's own self despite physical aspects that some members of society might not approve of. In short, having nappy hair.

Now the book opens with the family's Uncle Mordecai telling a tale. The whole book is, in fact, in Uncle Mordecai's voice and as he speaks about little Brenda, her nappyness, and the nature of African American hair itself, his family is getting ready to sit down to a summer picnic of hot dogs, side dishes, and pie. In his story, Mordecai talks about the very essence of Brenda's hair. How hard it is to untangle, the sound it makes when you try, and who Brenda is herself. He then suddenly lauches headlong (despite the repeated groans and moans of his extended family) into telling how God himself proclaimed this hair to be as it is. We do not, for the record, see God. We just hear Him as He states that this child will have at least eight complete circles in her hair per inch (a line that I love). As a result, here is a girl that avoids the straighteners, the relaxers, and the processes that would render her hair flat and dull. The book even goes so far as to explain about Africa and how this hair came straight over the slave ships and, "wouldn't stop for nothing". And then here we have her. A girl that can dance, "right on through all the wimp hair". She's proud of her hair of her head and her life. The final parting shot sees her standing with all her family, smiling at the viewer, perfectly content with who she is and what she has.

Now I haven't a clue how one goes about reading this book to groups and for a very simple reason. The book is written as a kind of call and response. Uncle Mordecai will make a statement like, "And I'm gonna tell y'all how she came up with all this nappy hair", and the various relatives will reply, "Brother, will you stop". The entire book is like this. A line or two by Mordecai, then a reply that's sometimes short and sometimes a little longer. How do you read that? Some people might have relatively little problem with the words and the stanzas. Others would definitely struggle. Should you intend to read this book for your child, sit down and go through it a couple times first. Get a feeling for the ebb and flow of the language because until you feel comfortable with what you're reading, you're not going to be able to convincingly persuade your child that this beautiful style is worth their listening.

Complimenting Carolivia Herron's words are Joe Cepeda's illustrations. The book is full of interesting details and delicate touches. Notice, if you will, that the angels that argue with the Lord that the child should not have nappy hair are, in fact, members of the girl's family. Take some time to observe how well Cepeda draws the single strand of Brenda's hair. Or, my personal favorite, the image of a girl with nappy hair sitting in Africa staring at the shocking orange sky. As she sits she is bedecked in a glorious green woven cloth, her neck, wrists, and ankles decorated. It's a moment of reflection, for both the character and the reader. It is also, in many ways, the quintessential climax of the tale.

So as you can see, this is a rare rare book. You won't find many like it in your schools, libraries, and bookstores. It's difficult to write a story about being proud about something that society, as a whole, may sniff at. I think Herron and Cepeda did the best that they could and that no human being could have said what they said better. "Nappy Hair" is a beautiful success story of a book.

I loved this book! As a 23 year old black feminist, I really enjoyed this book. The term nappy for my generation is not as degrading as people have made it out to be, my hair is nappy, as a child my mother always told me that my hair was nappy and we celebrated it. I believe that we need to teach our children to celebrate diversity. Hair texture is like skin complections it comes in a wide range, yet we are still one people! We as blacks have a probelm celebrating these diversities an in a way we advocate for the shame that plagues the lives of black children. I say to those who hate this book, buy bell hooks book "Happy to be Nappy" it is a classic also! LETS CELEBRATE DIVERSITY! ! ! !

I have not read a children's book that was as uplifting as this one. Not only is the main character loved by her family but she is a very smart girl. For too long, there as been an association between natural hair and ignorance. I plan to use this book in my classroom and I have shared it in all of my teacher education classes. Nappy is not a bad word, it is just a word.

I read and enjoyed this beautiful story. I have purcahsed several of these books for my younger cousins and friends. The story was first presented to me at church during the Children's period. I laughed and laughed untill I cried. This was such an appropriate place to present such a heart warming story.

My uncle, who is now deceased, used to talk about my hair all of the time.This book reminded me so much of his lectures. I was reminded of when he would come over for Sunday dinner and tell stories of how he and my daddy and all of there other 11 brothers and sisters would sit around and tell old stories. It was also a reminder of the fact that he used to constantly preach to me about spending my $25.00 allowance on getting my hair done every week because I did not want it to be " nappy ". "Your grandmother used to press her hair once a month, twice if she was lucky. Back then we did not worry about how our hair was looking we were concerned with fellowship of our family and friends." He constantly preached these stories to me weekly about how easy it is to forget where we came from. How easy it is to forget the sacrifices that our ancestors made so that we could have a better life than they did. I appreciated these lectures then, but now I appreciate them even more.

I am an adpoted child who has known that I was adopted all my life. Children can be so cruel sometimes and as a result of this I was constantly teased because of it. But as I have grown older and professed a hope in Christ, I have learned that God made me, not just my physical appearance but every aspect of me. He has molded me and shaped me. Everything that I am God has allowed me to be. Not because I am so holy but, because he's God. A God with new mercies everlasting and I am so thankful for it.

People often characterize African-Americans by their nappy hair. This book is just a reinforcement that God made me and God doesn't make junk. Everything he creates is perfect.

We are living in a world now where everyone has to have a hero or a role model. Children are so easily influenced and we as adults oftentimes take that for granted. If we act positively and in a spiritual manner, and we instill values and morals in our childrens minds; then our children we learn that they are truly indeed special. Each one of us are our own individual. We have special traits and characteristics that make us different. That diverse individuality is what makes us all so special and so perfect.

If you have not read this book I highly encourage you to do so. If you put all of your prejudice attributes away and view it as a story of human creation, you can not help but to be truly blessed!

I gave my 10-year old daughter a copy of Nappy Hair for Christmas. I had to force her to sit with me and read this book. As an adult, I loved the simple story and the historical context for discussing, yes, nappy hair. My daughter, on the other hand, hated the book on sight. She was turned off by the title, the cover, the interior illustrations, and the references to brown skin. She thought such references were "ignorant" and insulting. She prefers the African-American label for herself. After reading the book, my daughter announced that the book did not make her feel better about her own hair. It made her feel terrible. Disappointed by her reaction, I thought about it long and hard. I realized that today's young woman is having trouble coming to terms with her hair and her African heritage, just I did many years ago. To an adult who has finally come to terms with the immutable facts of her slave heritage, this book is beautiful in its language, its illustrations and its story. To a child, it is an embarrassing, deeply personal,and sometimes overwhelming topic. My daughter finds it too painful a topic to be captured in word and picture form for all the world to see. While the intended purpose of the book is to raise self-esteem, it is unsuccessful because it does not communicate to our youth in a way that he or she is able to accept the message. As a mother and a teacher, I am saddened that my daughter is not ready to read this book. Maybe she will be when she reaches an adult acceptance of herself. This book is to be appreciated more by its adult readers than by its young readers.

Three years ago, after reading about a white teacher who was nearly fired for reading this books to students in her class, I personally bought six copies to be used in my classroom. I told my students why I had purchased the books and why I had brought them to our classroom. The students were quite surprised that a teacher could be almost "fired" for reading this book to students. In my school, neither the students, the principal, the parents, nor I had a problem with this wonderful book ... at least I am not aware of a single complaint/problem in reference to my using this book, Nappy Hair, in the classroom.)

For months, I read Nappy Hair at least once a week to the class. The students were encouraged to interact with the poetic flow of the text. We had great discussions about why this book was considered by some to be controversial. Students wrote expository/persuasive paragraphs defending the book and telling why they liked/loved the story. By the end of the year, each student had personally read Nappy Hair at least twice ... a class of more than 32 students. Also, by the end of the year I had given, as gifts, six or seven copies of Nappy Hair to students who just loved the book ... Nappy Hair.

I now, each year, purchase copies of Nappy Hair for the enjoyment of my students. Each year I give more gifts of this delighful, soulful, and self-empowering book to many children. I will continue to do so! I am joyous that this book, this little masterpiece, work of art ... Nappy Hair, is available to us.

Thanks to the author, Carolivia Herron and thanks to the illustrator, Joe Cepeda. Thanks******

~~Read Nappy Hair and give freedom to your joyous spirit!~~

The bold, energetic artwork and the use of call and response make Nappy Hair an enjoyable book for all. Brenda's Uncle Mordecai calls out the story of her nappy hair, the nappiest hair in the world, at a family picnic, while everyone else chimes in giving their small comments. The text, pictures, and overall design of the book blend bring the story together which stresses such topics as God, family, Africa, slavery and, of course, Brenda and her nappy hair. I loved the illustrations that are used to show the personality and culture of the people in Nappy Hair. Brenda's curly nappy hair is shown as a part of her and her heritage. I enjoyed the illustration that goes along with the part about her combing her hair. "I mean combing your hair...is like scrunching through the New Mexico desert in brogans in the heat of summer." That sentence creates such a feeling inside me. It made me think back to being younger having long hair and trying to comb it out when it got all tangled. You try to rip through it with the brush and you can just hear the hair breaking. "Y'all know how it sounds when you scrunching through snow like that? That's what her hair sounds like when she comb it out in the morning." It really does sound like that. The illustrations and descriptions make you hear the sounds and feel the pulling. I don't think that really young children, under the age of five, would be able to grab the concept of the book without the he said or she said part of the story. I do think that they would love the bright vibrant pictures. There is no reason why any child above the age of five would not love this story.

This book calls out so many of the deeply rooted insecurities which are so much a part of African-American culture as a whole, and sheds a light of true love and self-appreciation on them. We have been blessed to bear, a type of hair, that no other part of humanity, or animal in creation has; curls and spirals, which tell the magnificent tale of our journey from the dawn of time, our hair is truly unique, and an undeniable Crown of Glory.

As a freelance storyteller in the St. Louis area, Nappy Hair is the most requested story that I am asked to read. I "perform" Nappy Hair. I take on the roles of the candid family members, especially Uncle Mordecai, and as a baptist preacher since this story glorifies the beautiful perfection of God's creation.

I have been told that this was a controversial book with African Americans taking exception to the term "nappy" as being derogatory. However, my audiences not only delight in the term, but my hair texture is so similar to "Brenda's" that when I read this story, I actually look the part and get plenty of compliments on the natural way I wear my hair. Although African Americans sport unlimited options for styling their hair, nothing beats "Nappy Hair." This book reaffirms the natural beauty of our hair texture promoting self-determination, self-love, and Afrocentricity.

Reaction by Dr. Catharine Perry's Multicultural Studies class at the University of Houston

Approximately a third of my Cultural Studies class at the University of Houston wish to address the controversy in New York surrounding Nappy Hair in which a teacher was forced to leave employment in a public school because of her presentation of this book to her class.

The book was about pride in one's uniquesness, pride in one's heritage, pride in a wild head of hair. The author was attempting to enable black children to eliminate boundaries in their self-image that others have set for them by showing that having very curly hair is a positive attribute.

In this class of prospective teachers, the response to using the book in the classroom was positive. None of the students responding felt negative about the book in any way, though one student expressed a caution about presenting it carefully, while another felt it might be difficult for very young children. We liked the book, one student being particularily impressed by the metaphors. We particularily enjoyed reading the book out loud in choral style.

The controversy surrounding the book was very puzzling for us. The most favored explanation being that the critics never read the book but simply reacted to the title. While we feel that the negative response got way out of hand, we wonder if the problem was in the presentation. One student expressed hope that the notoriety would make more people read it - it certainly made us curious!