Magic Like That

by Samara Cole Doyon, Geneva Bowers (Illustrator)

Overview

In this celebration of Black Girl Magic, a young girl finds confidence and excitement in the versatility of her natural hair and the way her different hairstyles reflect the natural world.

Natural hair is magical, but magic isn't easy. As a young Black girl patiently waits for her mother to finish her newest hairstyle, she wonders what stunning, majestic, awe-inspiring form her hair will take next!

With radiant illustrations by Geneva Bowers and beautiful, poetic text written by Samara Cole Doyon, Magic Like That will inspire young readers of all textures to believe in the beauty of their natural selves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643790701
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	09/07/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	902,521
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Samara Cole Doyon is a second-generation Haitian American living in the state of Maine–a region of unceded Wabanaki / Abenaki territory where half the roots of her family tree reside. Her picture-book debut, Magnificent Homespun Brown, received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. You can visit her online at samaracoledoyon.com.

Geneva Bowers illustrated the children’s books The Dragon Thief, Beyoncé: Shine Your Light, and Curls, among others. She won the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist and a 2018 British Science Fiction Association Award nomination. A self-taught illustrator based in western North Carolina, Geneva loves manipulating color and adding whimsy with a touch of realism and calm. Visit her online at Genevab.com.

Editorial Reviews

08/02/2021

Framed by a bespectacled Black mother doing her dark-skinned child’s hair, this affirming series of lyrical vignettes draws immersive parallels between a Black child’s varying hairstyles and myriad elements from nature: on each spread, her hair is variously compared to “regal pine trees,” “a million ocean currents,” “a bouquet of hydrangea blossoms,” and more. Doyon’s deservedly confident narrator employs a wealth of sensory and figurative language to describe her changing hairdos: “Piled high, it gathers together/ like billowing thunderclouds/ threatening to break loose in a sudden storm,/ releasing a cascade of relief and revival./ My hair is fresh like that.” A satisfying final-act turn reveals how the child can be anything, the hairstyles representing a queen, an explorer, a warrior. Bowers augments the text with vibrant digital spreads, centering close-ups of the smiling figure amid bright, expansive landscapes. Readers will revel in this glorious celebration of Black hair. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

* "A fine addition to an expanding body of hair-affirming books that exude Black girl self-love and confidence." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Readers will revel in this glorious celebration of Black hair." — Publishers Weekly

"This picture book celebrates the beauty and strength of Black hair, presenting it as a symbol of empowerment for young people." — Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 2021-06-29
A 20-some–years-later companion to Natasha Tarpley’s I Love My Hair (1998).

A young, dark-skinned, brown-eyed Black girl declares, “My hair is magic,” as she smiles at her own image in a mirror while her puffy, freshly shampooed hair drips. While she cringes when her mother combs out her tangles to style her hair, she admires and appreciates the results. She then describes a plethora of hairstyles she wears that show the versatility of her Afro-textured hair. On each double-page spread, she likens her hair to something in nature: When she wears it loose, her hair resembles ocean currents; she compares her Bantu knots to the windswept desert; with colorful barrettes in it, her hair is “a cloudless sky on a winter night”; and her braids are “like long vines tumbling from a garden trellis.” After each simile comes the refrain: “My hair is [adjective] like that”—majestic, mischievous, stunning, elegant, etc. Haitian American author Doyon creates an affirming story, enhanced by Black illustrator Bowers’ use of bright colors, lots of bold, face-front images, and beautiful natural settings to positively portray dark skin, African physical features, and highly textured hair. Readers who enjoy Yesenia Moises’ Stella’s Stellar Hair (2021) and M.L. Marroquin and Tonya Engel’s My Hair Is Magic (2020) will find just as much to love in this book.

A fine addition to an expanding body of hair-affirming books that exude Black girl self-love and confidence. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews