Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron, Joe Cepeda (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Now in Dragonfly: a lively, empowering story about Brenda's knotted-up, twisted, nappy hair and how it got to be that way! Told in the African-American "call and response" tradition, this story leaps off the page, along with vibrant illustrations by Joe Cepeda.

Winner of a Parenting Reading Magic Award

Publishers Weekly

Based on a tape recorded at a family gathering attended by the author, this zesty book also draws inspiration from the African American tradition of call and response. At a family picnic, Uncle Mordecai serves up jibe after jibe about young Brenda's locks-"the kinkiest, the nappiest, the fuzziest, the most screwed up, squeezed up... hair you've ever seen in your life." Each sally elicits responses from the relatives, who chime in with "Don't cha know"; "That's the way"; and so forth. As Uncle Mordecai continues, he describes a delegation of angels trying to talk God out of giving Brenda her wild hair; he flashes abruptly back to Africa, where Brenda is "getting ready to come to America with them slaves." Herron, a first-time author, captures the free-for-all atmosphere of a Sunday get-together, and the spontaneous, true-to-life quality of her writing will resonate with children and families who share Brenda's experiences. Other readers, however, could easily be left at sea, confused by the erratic progression of the narrative. To some extent, both the book design and Cepeda's (The Old Man and the Door) vibrant paintings help pull together the text's disparate strands. Skillfully varied typefaces set off the responses of different speakers and thereby convey the impression of hearing from many voices. Cepeda's stylized art picks up on the energy and exuberance of the crowd; his work also focuses on Brenda (who otherwise is not heard from), defining her character to be as strong-willed and lively as her famous hair. All ages. (Jan.)

Children's Literature

For a hilarious take on self-esteem, turn to Carolivia Herron's Nappy Hair. Participants at a backyard picnic comment on a young girl's curly-curly hair. The call-and-response pattern of the dialogue captures the voices of the various family members as well as the rhythms of African American speech. Based on fond recollections of the author's own childhood experience with "nappy hair," the story is enriched with Joe Cepeda's vibrant illustrations of an expressive family.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3The title leaves no doubt about the focus of this picture book. At a family picnic, everyone pokes fun at the youngest girl's nappy hair. Devised as a call-and-response dialogue, the interchanges offer explanations and comments on why Brenda's hair is the nappiest, the curliest, the twistiest hair in the family. The answers involve African origins, God's intent, and pride in one's self; e.g., the Lord "looked down on this cute little brown baby girl" and said, "One nap of her hair is the only perfect circle in nature." The slightly exaggerated, colorful illustrations depict hair as wild and woolly as Don King's, and they comically embellish the message. The device of the multi-voiced dialogue, characterized in different type styles and sizes, rhythmically carries an ethnic flavor, but what's missing here is story. It's nice to see such familial unity but there's no strong narrative to reinforce that theme. Because the message is the entire point, the effect is akin to a one-joke book.Julie Cummins, New York Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

Uncle Mordecai calls out the story of Brenda's hair—the nappiest hair in the world—at the family picnic, while everyone else chimes in with affirmations: "Yep," "You said it," and "Ain't it the truth." At first they think Mordecai is making fun of Brenda's hair; when he says that combing it out sounds like crunching through deep snow with two inches of crust on top, somebody says, "Brother, you ought to be ashamed." But soon it's clear that his only purpose is celebration: "One nap of her hair is the only perfect circle in nature," hair that is ordained by God Himself. The text, illustrations, and overall design of the book work exceptionally well together. Uncle Mordecai's narration is set in a serif typeface, with the interjected responses set in a variety of serif and sans-serif typefaces for emphasis. The exuberant gospel rhythm of the text is matched by Cepeda's bold, color-saturated paintings, particularly his renderings of little Brenda. She's clearly a child who stomps through life with a lot of spunk and energy.

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