Summary
Mackenzie is a beautiful young girl who has hair that is as wild and fierce as a forest. School bullies harass her relentlessly – until one day she breaks down and runs to her neighbor’s house, where she finds a stunning garden that Mackenzie calls her sanctuary. What can Miss Tillie do to help her with her hair issues? African American children who struggle with their hair will find affirmation and support in this book, and they’ll learn that every forest has a garden they can admire.
Theme(s):
Self-Love, Support, Individuality
Personal Response
I thought that this book was very inspiring to read. I liked the author’s use of the metaphor of Miss Tillie’s garden because it shows Mackenzie how important it is to have healthy hair, and also reminds her of how beautiful her natural hair is. The story encourages self-confidence in one’s natural self while stimulating further exploration of one’s own opinions about beauty. It is important for our students to feel confident about themselves and see the beauty that is on the inside and outside.
Teaching Ideas
This book can be used to teach skills of self-love. It can be used as a read-aloud activity and then connect it to each of the student’s natural hair. The class will create a class collage where we will take pictures of each of them with their natural hair as well as find in magazines different people with different hairstyles. This promotes diversity by showing that everyone is unique in their own way but we need to embrace these differences and love one another as well as love ourselves.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01
