Summary
This brightly illustrated picture book takes you through an emotional story of an eight year old girl who frequently gets teased about her “bushy hair.” Once Wanda’s mother and grandmother show her strong and beautiful women who have the same type of hair, she learns how to be confident and brave. Her mother reminds her that she is a “queen”, and tells her that her hair is her “crown.” This book encourages young girls to embrace their differences, no matter what they may be.
Theme(s):
Confidence, Love, Compassion
Personal Response
Overall, I thought this book is fit for all types of readers. It encourages children to be confident about how they are. This book also allows students who are of South African culture to feel compassion for this little girl, as well as be able to see themselves in this book. We can also learn a lot about South African culture by reading this book. I also really enjoyed the illustrations in the story. They were colorful, and they fit with the storyline well.
Teaching Ideas
I think this book would be a really great read aloud choice, as there are a multitude of points in the book that can be the center of many great discussions. I think many students would be able to relate to how she feels in the book (maybe not about the hair specifically), but in feeling self conscious. I also think a great activity that can go along with a read aloud of this book is having students create a list of 10 things they like about themselves!
Recommended Reading Level
Grade 02, Grade 03
