Beach Hair

by Ashley Woodfolk, Nina Mata (Illustrator)

Overview

From two bestselling creators comes a lyrical and heartfelt picture book about a multiracial family’s trip to the beach that’s an ode to family, community, diversity, and—most importantly—fabulous beach hair!

When I wake up with the wildest bed head
and Mommy and Daddy do too
Mommy says we all have beach hair,
so Daddy says, “Guess we should go to the beach.”

At the beach, everyone has beach hair. There’s twisty and twirly hair, flossy and glossy hair, hair that’s barely there, and hair that’s everywhere.

The best part about a beach day is the belonging and joy that everyone feels when they let their hair run as wild and free as the sea.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665920988
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	06/04/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	402,682
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ashley Woodfolk has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She started reading at age five, writing poetry and stories at age seven, and after majoring in English in college, worked in children’s book publishing for over a decade. Now a full-time mom and writer, Ashley lives in a sunny Brooklyn apartment with her cute husband, her cuter dog, and the cutest kids in the world, and she spends her days (and nights) writing. She is the author of ten books, including The Beauty That Remains, When You Were Everything, Blackout, Nothing Burns as Bright as You, and the Flyy Girls series.

Niña Mata is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of I Promise by LeBron James, which was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work. Niña grew up in Queens, New York, after her family emigrated from the Philippines when she was six years old. As a child, Niña spent a lot of time drawing. Her after-school activities usually involved watching Bob Ross and Reading Rainbow and looking for adventures in the library (which she still does). She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, their daughter, and Tabi, the cat.

Editorial Reviews

03/18/2024

Making a lively picture book debut, Woodfolk (Nothing Burns as Bright as You) pays homage to seaside ’dos of all kinds. When the child narrator and their family wake up “with the wildest bed head,” and Mommy calls it “beach hair,” the grinning trio packs up and heads to the shore. Upon arrival, the young protagonist uses comparative prose to describe various hair styles: Black-cued Mommy’s is “fluffy and big,/ like the fat white clouds,” while pale-skinned Daddy’s dark hair “is straight, going sideways with the wind,/ like the tall seagrass,” and the brown-skinned protagonist’s is “like the soft waves in the ocean.” Mata (I Love My Spots) employs brilliantly colorful digital art, portraying people of varying ages, body types, and skin tones interacting by the water: “I see BOUNCY beach hair/ and FLOUNCY beach hair./ WISPY and WOOLLY and/ UP-IN-THE-AIR beach hair.” After swimming, the family’s sun-baked ’dos change again, into “tiny spirals” like seashells for Mommy, “feathery and floppy” tresses like a seagull’s wings for Daddy, and “fat curls,/ the same shape as soft-serve” for the protagonist. It’s a well-observed celebration that’s a day at the beach. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Beth Phelan, Gallt & Zacker. Illustrator’s agent: Christy Ewers, CAT Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"This family story is a delightful exploration of acceptance and the joy of embracing one’s natural beauty. With its playful, warm illustrations and heartfelt message, this book will spark conversations about family, physical differences, and cultural pride."

Booklist

2024-03-23
An impromptu beach adventure sprouts from the bed heads of a loving family.

A young, curly-haired, brown-skinned child awakens to a hairdo that just screams “beach day,” according to Mommy and Daddy, who sport similar but distinct bed heads of their own. Their skin tones and hair textures (Mommy presents Black, while Daddy is pale-skinned and dark-haired) are a welcome reminder that family members often look different from one another; indeed, highlighting difference becomes a prominent element throughout the book. Woodfolk and Mata celebrate differences, from the hats the family dons to leave home (“Mommy’s is wide and bendy,” “Daddy’s is pulled down low and tight,” “Mine looks like the bucket I’ll shovel sand into soon”) to people’s beach hair they come across when they arrive (“TWISTY and TWIRLY,” “ORANGEY and OILY”). The trio quickly remove their hats when they realize that everyone else’s hair is “WILD and FREE.” The sun is shining, the water looks inviting, and who can resist the palm trees, birds, and splashing beach visitors, brought to life by spirited, full-color digital illustrations? Woodfolk describes the beachgoers’ various hair textures, colors, and styles with delightful similes that compare hair to everything from “slippery seaweed” to “soft-serve ice cream,” which will elicit laughs in readers, just as with our protagonist.

A radiant love letter to family, beachy summer days, and the freedom to let your hair down. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews