Crazy Hair (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Dave Mckean (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The duo responsible for The Wolves in the Walls (2003) return with another chaotic picture book popping with bright collage and multimedia imagery. A man takes umbrage with a young girl ogling his outrageous hairdo, and tells her in a series of increasingly ridiculous rhymes all the things that can be found in the stupendous swaths swirling upon his head (“Hunters send in expeditions, / Radio back their positions / Still, we’ve lost a dozen there / Lost inside my crazy hair.”) Each page is a veritable feast for the eyes, with frazzled clumps of hair competing for attention with outlandish elements—carousels, pirate ships, blue octopi, comb-eating bears—incorporated into the frenzied mix. There’s something a little unsettling and unhinged about the imagery, just on the safe side of nightmarish; but the text, for the most part, is delightful and glib. The whole thing comes off as a little self-gratifying on the creators’ parts, but there is no doubting the dazzling creativity on display. Perhaps best recommended for children with an adventurous artistic sensibility. Preschool-Grade 3. --Ian Chipman

Product Description

"In my hair

Gorillas leap,

Tigers stalk,

And ground sloths sleep.

Prides of lions

Make their lair

Somewhere in my crazy hair."

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060579080
• ISBN-13: 978-0060579081
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #275,663 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands down, best book of the year!, June 9, 2009

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Grayce Richardson (age 5) for Reader Views (4/09)

"Okay, I think my hair would get dirty if birds nested in it. Oh my gosh, there are lions in there? This is getting hilarious! And now she is getting crazy hair! I like it when they say, `Stuck inside my crazy hair!' Mom, read it again!"

Parent's Note:

Expect a whole lot of zany wackiness from the author/illustrator pair who also wrote "Coraline." Grayce was riveted by the story and kept saying, "Oh, my gosh, this is hilarious!" "Crazy Hair" is, indeed, hilarious; but more than that, it is imaginative and fun and just slightly creepy (in a good way). As a parent, I love reading this book because the character is one of a kind. It's the best of what a children's book should be - full of adventure and exploration and creativity, with just a little bit of "hair-raising" wonder to go along with it. This book is her hand's-down favorite right now and I would buy it in hard cover. "Crazy Hair" by Neil Gaiman will be a permanent book in our collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly delightful, September 6, 2009

By	J. D. Mattson "biblioholic" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Gaiman and McKean are a match made in heaven and this is my favorite of their collaborations so far. Taken from a poem that Gaiman wrote in response to his daughter's comment about his "crazy hair's" behavior in humidity, he has applied his trademark ear for delightful, offbeat descriptions and, in this case, unusual rhyme. McKean's art is dark, lovely, and fantastical and enhances the text. I highly recommend this.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My 2 yr old loves it and so do I!!!, June 30, 2009

By	K. Eckert "Devourer of all books fantasy" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Okay so I am a huge Gaiman fan. I know Gaiman has released a couple books for children, but I don't have any of them. When I saw "Crazy Hair" was coming out I actually pre-ordered it. All my expectations were met; it is a great kid's book and I also enjoy it as an adult.

I read through it first by myself to make sure it wasn't too scary. Personally the fact that the main character has all of this crazy stuff living in his hair creeped me out a little. Then the girl gets sucked into his hair; which I thought might be scary to my 2 1/2 year old son. Still once the girl is in his hair she has a really good time. The pictures (in true Dave McKean style) are very abstract and a little creepy. There is one picture in particular with a pirate ship swooping through huge hair folicles that is a bit odd. So all-in-all the normal mix of wildly creative, creepy, strange that I have come to expect from the Gaiman/McKean team. The book itself is a good length for a toddler; long enough to be a good story but short enough to keep their attention.

So, how did my son like it?

He absolutely loves this book. We read it over and over. He loves that every stanza ends with "crazy hair!" and screams that closing statement at the top of his lungs. He thinks it is really neat that all of this stuff lives in this guy's hair. When the girl gets sucked into the guy's hair he thinks it is hilarious and he has memorized all of the neat things she does "dancing in his crazy hair!"

He also finds the abstract artwork fascinating and will spend (well not hours) but minutes at a time (that's a lot for a toddler) just staring at them and pointing out the things he sees.

In summary I was very pleased with this book and so was my 2 1/2 year old son. We read it every night. It is a great story with wonderful artwork. It made me anxious to get some of Gaiman and McKean's other children's books. This is a book that I will keep forever; it definitely gets a spot on my keeper shelf. I would strongly recommend this book for all ages.