Customer Reviews

Wavy, Curly, Kinky : The African American Child's Hair Care Guide

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I wanted a book that would show in detail how to do different styles. This book only contained a brief description on braids and cornrows. I also did not like the author recommending straighteners for kinky hair. I wanted a book on how to work with my daughter's natural hair, not on how to change it.

I was extremely dissatisfied with this book - it gave very few helpful ideas on how to care for "kinky" hair. It also called the very fine baby hair angel hair, as if hair that is not fine and soft is something other than that. I expected to have helpful ideas on how to keep my daughter's natural (thick and not straight) hair healthy and style it beautifully. In fact, I only learned how to chemically treat and straighten her hair. The only style recommened for thick and coarse hair were braids....as well, the book was not very comprehensive. I do not recommend this book.

If you love your natural hair as well as your children's, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK! If there was a zero star, that's what this book would get. I bought it via German Amazon, so there was no review for me to read...I wish I knew that the book recommends nonsense like "if used properly, relaxers can be gentle and safe and will work magic. Try to wait until your daughter is at least 10 before you take this step"...
The nerve of this writer to write that..To recommend a chemical on a poor child's hair because to quote her " if...the hair is too unruly and wild"...What kind of message is she sending to our children? That it's okay to fry their hair with a chemical? Kinky/curly/wavy hair doesn't need to be fixed...The writer's shackles were showing...No matter what she says about the safety of relaxers, texturizers, etc...They will never be safe. The hair may look healthy, but it is not and will never be safe. The only people in the whole world who torture their children like this are Black people...(!) DO NOT buy this book..Look around Amazon and you'll find much better books that encourage you to work with the natural texture of your child's than to destroy it with chemicals. If you truly care for your child's mental/physical well being, and accept her and her God -given hair, DO NOT buy this book.

Upon buying this book I was hoping to find new and easy styles for natural African textured hair. I was EXTREMELY upset by several suggestion to chemically treat a CHILD'S hair if it is not what this ridiculous author considers "angel" hair. I was also under the impression that in this day and age, African American women were becoming more comfortable and loving of ourselves naturally, and I am highly dissapointed to see otherwise. I would like a book that caters to BLACK hair. Not black people who want white hair. For the biracial women that think this book is a dream come true, mark these words: Your child will probably have a hurdle to jump being biracial in a world that demands that we define ourselves as it is. Don't subject your child to further self scrutiny by teaching them to hate their physical attributes. If you don't want black/biracial children-and all that comes with it, don't choose black partners.

The other reviews were right on target. I'll add: little substance, spelling/proofreading errors, unfocused photos, and very little useful information. I'm not impressed and I'm getting my money back. The only marginally useful part was the list of brand-name products and tools at the end. For a momma committed to my daughter's natural hair health, this book has way too much about chemical treatments.

My most used references: It's All Good Hair (Michele N.K. Collision) and Kinki Kreations (Jena Renee Williams). This just isn't worth the shelf space on my bookshelves.

First of all, the author was CLEARLY biased against kinky hair and clearly favored what she described as "wavy" and "curly" hair. I was also apalled to read comments in where she refers to the delicate hair that very young children have as "angel hair" and then wrote that this "angel hair" turns into "something else," clearly attaching a negative connotation with kinky-textured hair.

She also used phrases like "training your childs hair" and endorsed relaxers and texurizers as if they were safe and possibly healthy; even insinuating that they become "neccessary" as the hair becomes more of a challenge with age. How irresponsible and misleading.

Another disturbing revelation of this book is that Lily generally limited kinky-haired girls' styling options to braids which I found apalling. As a natural woman with very kinky hair who wears her hair out [and has been complimented] I find this irresponsible and damaging. She made it seem like kinky haired girls should never wear their hair out; meanwhile the "curly" and "wavy-haired" girls had their hair out in many photos.

In fact, the only time she really showed kinky-haired girls with their hair out was when...you guessed it...the hair had been straightened with a pressing comb or permed. As I said her favortism toward curly and wavy hair was very obvious.

Also, not to be predjudice, but many of the little girls appeared to be mixed, a few even looked part asian. Of course if you're mixed with white or asian your hair is likely to be looser curled! I do not feel it is fair to portray biracial textures as black textures when a different race has directly influenced the texture of the child's hair.

And as a sidenote, I found the pictures of made-up, pageant-looking girls a little off-putting. She should know that mothers are likely to read this book and maybe seeing a 5 year old wearing a ton of makeup and posing like a grown woman wouldn't sit well...

Overall, Deborah Lily's book reeked of the old-school, grandma "we gotta train this bad hair" mentality. She should be embarassed.

Thank goodness I borrowed this book from the library. There is very little information on hair care and styling tips for non-permed non-chemically treated hair. Most of the styles for natural hair were actually none styles where the hair was free flowing. The children that were the natural hair model (while o so cute) did not have hair that looked moist and healthy. Extensions and hooked in braids on children no thanks! No mention of some great hair moisturizers or natural straightners. DISAPPOINTED is an understatement!

Wavy, Curly, Kinky... is by no means a celebration of wavy, curly, or kinky hair. It has irresponsible advice such as pressing 8-12 year old girls hair because of peer teasing. Many of the pictures are of girls with pressed or permed hair. Most of the natural hair styles shown are of girls with wavy or loosely curled hair. I do not recommend this book.

This book just gives information about pressing or perming kinky hair.It does not give alot of information on how to braid hair.I am looking for a book that can give me tons of information on braiding the hair,and different but cute,hairstyles on how to style natural hair.If you are looking for natural hairstyles then check out the magazine braids and beauty

This product was not what I expected. For me it was a waste of my money. Did not give me the insight on how to care for my child's hair.