Tangle-Knot

by Loretta Ellsworth, Annabel Tempest (Illustrator)

Overview

Tangle-knot is not a word, but it is Fia’s hair.

And Fia thinks it’s perfect, which is why she refuses to brush it, even though her mom always complains it’s a mess. In fact, it’s more than a mess—it’s a nest for a mother bird and her three colorful eggs!

Fia takes excellent care of her birds and shows off her tangle-knot everywhere she goes, attracting lots of attention. As the spectacle grows, so does Mom’s disapproval. But Fia’s commitment to being herself just might be powerful enough to change her mother’s mind.

This whimsical story shines with lighthearted relatability, reminding us that even when our parents just don’t get it, they always want us to be happy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645677130
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	06/06/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	720,818
Product dimensions:	8.85(w) x 10.55(h) x 0.35(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Loretta Ellsworth has never had birds in her hair, though a cat climbed onto her head once when she was ten. She now has three grandsons and seven granddaughters, none of whom like to comb their hair. Loretta lives in Minnesota, where she writes full time and also enjoys playing tennis and reading. While she has created several books for older readers, this is her first picture book.

Annabel Tempest hates brushing her hair almost as much as Fia does. Some things she loves are swimming, collecting shiny things, and books, of which she has illustrated many, including Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket (Two Lions) and How to Change the World (Puffin). She lives in deepest Somerset in England with her husband, three huge growing boys, a slightly silly dog, and a cat that thinks it is the boss.

Editorial Reviews

"A whimsical story that young children will love to have read to them and which is filled with dynamic illustrations to keep them engaged. [...] Children will identify with a character who stays true to herself despite her mother's opinions on her hair."
—School Library Connection

"It's wonderful to see Fia given the agency to embrace her hair on her own terms, and it could easily launch a discussion on beauty standards. A sweet, silly story that will have any child resistant to combs and brushes cheering."
—Booklist

From the Publisher

2023-03-29
A young girl has a bird’s-nest ’do.

Fia “refuses to brush her hair,” much to her mom’s consternation. A gray bird soon takes up residence in the White-presenting girl’s scraggly, bushy coiffure. Soon the bird lays eggs—one red, one yellow, and one blue—in Fia’s “tangle-knot nest,” attracting attention, some of it judgmental but most of it encouraging, from others, including a TV crew. Fia takes good care of the nest, refusing to wash her hair in order to keep it safe, and eventually the eggs hatch into red, yellow, and blue birds. When the birds leave, Fia finally decides that it’s time for a new style, to her mother’s relief, and her shorn tangle-knot becomes a tree-bound nest. This could be a very relatable story for any child who hates running a comb through frizzy knots or who longs to have a live-in pet (or four), but the prose gets bogged down by unnecessary dialogue tags and written descriptions that are better shown through the jaunty, energetic illustrations. However, it also raises thought-provoking questions about whether a child of color would receive the same admiration if they showed up to school with an unkempt head of hair, and many children will likely get distracted wondering where the birds go to the bathroom. Fia’s mother presents White; the supporting cast is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A fantastical but flawed fairy tale. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews