Wild, Wild Hair (level 3) (Hello Reader) (Paperback)

by Nikki Grimes (Author), George Ford (Illustrator) "Tisa Walker's hair was long and thick and wild..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2. Tisa Walker dreads Monday mornings. "School was not the problem./She liked going there./But Monday was the day/Mommy braided Tisa's hair." She hides, but every week her mother finds her, combs and carefully braids her long, thick hair into 20 elaborately plaited braids. Grimes uses her beautiful poetic touch to narrate this story told in easy-to-read rhyming couplets. Ford's appealing watercolor artwork, done largely in pastel shades, extends and adorns the simple story. The artist depicts warm and loving African-American family members, all of whom seem to devote Monday mornings to getting Tisa ready to face the world. In the end, the child is very pleased with herself, but every reader will guess that she'll try to avoid the combing and braiding next week. An enjoyable read-aloud or read-alone.?Sharon R. Pearce, San Antonio Public Library, TX
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 1^-2. Grimes' simple rhyming story in the Hello Reader! series is illustrated with warm, expressive illustrations showing an exuberant small girl and her African American family. Tisa Walker hates Monday when it is time to comb and braid her thick, wild hair. She hides and complains; her father and brother tease her gently; and then she fusses and grumbles as her mother rakes through all the knots ("By now Tisa was sure / to jump out of her skin"). Then her mother's fingers fly, and Tisa soon has 20 thick, beautiful braids. Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Cartwheel (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590265903
• ISBN-13: 978-0590265904
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #314,017 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What we endure for beauty even as children!!, September 20, 2008

By	Judy K. Polhemus "Book Collector" (LA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Wild, Wild Hair. Oh yes, Tisa Walker has wild, wild hair! Even her dad calls Tisa his wild child.

The renowned African-American poet Nikki Grimes provides quartets of rhyme to relate the story of Tisa's Monday morning ritual of taming her wild, wild hair, while George Ford created the beautiful illustrations. You see, Tisa has long hair that is so curly and tightly coiled--naturally--that it is quite unmanageable left to its own control.

(During my freshman year in college when I had long, curly hair and it rained almost every day for weeks on end, my hair looked very much like Tisa's. White children can also have this situation.)

Tisa hides, everyone looks for her, Mama finds her. Then the ordeal of combing and braiding begins. But, wonder of wonder--the results!! Tisa has amazing hair, beautiful hair, tamed hair in braids.

One note of irony: Tisa's mom has short-cropped hair. Hmmmm. But don't most little girls want long hair at some point?

(Note: This is a Level 3 Hello Reader for Grades 1 and 2.)

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wild, Wild Hair, January 6, 2000

By	joslyn bowling-jones (aurora, il) - See all my reviews

A positive, self-affirming book for every little African-American girl with the incredibily impossible but beautiful, curly, long, tangled and naturally textured hair that occurs only in youth, and before all the chemical treatments we subject our beautiful hair to as we get older. Mothers and daughters will relate to this simply rhymed, easily read and enjoyable book. Sure to become a favorite, especially just before the weekly/daily hair combing tug-of-war, which will strike a chord with many African-American children. Lovingly illustrated with true-to-life and entertaining pictures. An excellent children's book at a very low price!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hair stories, July 2, 2001

By	"rkfj" (Upper Darby, PA United States) - See all my reviews

My daughter fights me everytime I try to comb her hair. This book has helped her understand that it doesn't have to be a battle. Also, she can read the book aloud when she gets her hair styled.