Boonoonoonous Hair

by Olive Senior, Laura James (Illustrator)

Overview

In this vibrant and exquisitely illustrated picture book written by Commonwealth Prize–winning Jamaican Canadian Olive Senior, and with pictures by the acclaimed artist Laura James (the team that created Anna Carries Water), a young girl learns to love her difficult-to-manage voluminous and boonoonoonous hair.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781926890227
Publisher:	Tradewind Books
Publication date:	01/25/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,073,394
Product dimensions:	10.25(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Olive Senior was born and raised in Jamaica and is one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated writers. She has won numerous prestigious awards for her work, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature and the gold Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica. Her books for young people include Anna Carries Water. She lives in Toronto.

Laura James is an award-winning artist and illustrator of Antiguan heritage. She collaborated with Olive Senior on the bestselling Anna Carries Water, which was a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2014. She lives in the Bronx, New York.

Editorial Reviews

It is a beautiful ode to all that makes us different yet special. Accompanied by bold and colourful illustrations, this picture book would be a great addition to any children’s collection.

CM Reviews

The artwork by James – who is of Antiguan heritage – is an explosion of colour and energy, with each one of her illustrations perfectly echoing the vibrancy of Jamilla’s ever-changing electric and kinetic hairstyles. Together, author and illustrator show young readers that being different isn’t a bad thing.

Quill & Quire

Senior's book tells the story of Jamilla, a young girl learning to love her hair — and Senior says that's something everyone can relate to. (It's) a book full of rhythm and rhymes (that) Laura James brought to life with bright, vibrant illustrations.

NPR Weekend Edition

2019-05-12
Jamilla's mom has many reasons why Jamilla should not hate her hair in this lively Canadian import.

It's time to do her hair before school, and Jamilla hides the comb inside her puffy hair. She hates her hair; "It hurts. It's a pain." She wants to know why she has "bad" hair instead of "good hair" that's "long and soft and pretty" like her classmates'. Her mother tells her it's silly to want their hair when "the most fantabulous, splendiferous, boonoonoonous hair in the world is right here." They agree that if she doesn't cry or hide the comb anymore, Jamilla can wear her hair in a different style every day of the year. A week's worth of hairstyles is pictured—including puffs, braids, cornrows, twists, a "wild" Afro, and, for Sunday, in ribbons as "Grandmother's child." James' illustrations use strong lines, stylized facial features, and bold colors, with backgrounds of turquoise and yellow. They show the young black girl in various settings—a park, an art museum, a playground. The titular adjective will require translation for those unfamiliar with Jamaican patois, and the idea of changing hairstyles daily overlooks the effort that goes into each. Still, the energy between mother and child is infectious, and the rhythmic text is great fun to read.

This girl's road to self-acceptance is playful, easy, and filled with love. (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews