Wanda (Wanda #1)

An affirmation of Afro hair that speaks to Black girls all over the African diaspora ... With a bright color palette of yellow, pink, blue, aqua, and green, this story highlights Wanda's positive female relationships and role models and helps her understand who she is in a broader cultural context. This story also addresses systemic racism rooted in the apartheid system that lingers today in South African schools. A fine addition to the expanding body of picture books about Afro hair.

In this uplifting South African import informed by the African proverb Intombi mayizithembe ("A young girl must always remain confident"), coauthors Nontshokweni and Tlali follow Wanda, an eight-year-old Black child who struggles to accept her hair: "My hair is a crown, but one made of thorns." Teased about her Afro-textured hair by classmates, and wary of her teacher's punishment for students with unstyled natural hair ("I will get a black dot on my star chart. She will say it's a bird's nest"), Wanda "makes the big switch" every day--transforming her "cloud" of hair into pigtail puffs while dreaming of a smoother texture. Wanda believes her mother's affirmations ("My mother says my hair is strong and beautiful like clouds"), but it isn't until she sees pictures of powerful women with hair just like hers that Wanda embraces her crown, as well as its styling "secret" of "water and 100% olive oil." Drawing strength from a new hairdo, Wanda marches onto the bus the next morning with newfound conviction. Chantelle and Burgen Thorne's striking illustrations capture intimate scenarios in bright colors. A worthy, if meandering, celebration of Afro-textured crowns that simultaneously exposes how Black children are sometimes penalized for their textured hair. Back matter includes a brief South African-English glossary. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1--It's hard for eight-year-old Wanda to remember that Mama calls her hair a crown when Sizwe and Thula tease her on the bus and even her teacher demands that she change her "cloud" to a style that's "neat and clean." After another stressful day at school, she arrives home tearful and dejected. Fortunately, her grandmother is there with encouragement and practical help. First, she shows Wanda pictures of glamorous Black women with a variety of hairstyles. Then she uses a special comb and styling techniques on Wanda's hair. Even Sizwe and Thula admit that the results make her look like a queen. Wanda and most of her classmates are Black, but her teacher is shown only in shadow. The colorful illustrations not only depict the story's events but also express Wanda's shifting thoughts and emotions that affect her self-image. The back matter explains "Intombi mayizithembe"--an African proverb that means, "A young girl must always remain confident." VERDICT Originally published in South Africa, this book offers an international perspective on acceptance and celebration of different kinds of beauty that could complement similar titles in all collections.--Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Mankato

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.