Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison

Synopsis: 

“When mommy is away, it’s up to daddy to do his daughter’s hair in this ode to self-confidence and the love between fathers and daughters from former NFL wide receiver Matthew A. Cherry and New York Times bestseller Vashti Harrison.

Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it’s beautiful. When mommy does Zuri’s hair, she feels like a superhero. But when mommy is away, it’s up to daddy to step in! And even though daddy has a lot to learn, he LOVES his Zuri. And he’ll do anything to make her—and her hair—happy.

Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair—and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.”

Review:

This book is absolutely adorable in all the best ways! And a bonus, if you see Angry Birds 2, this book is also a 5-minute animated short. You can check out a clip on Matthew’s Kickstarter campaign. Check out NPR’s article about the short film as well.

My hair is thick, curly, and wavy and because my mom had very straight hair, we didn’t always know how to take advantage of the curls, but leave the frizz. Some nights, after my baths my dad would sit me down and brush my hair 100 times. I loved this time together, it made me feel so special. Now, knowing what I do about curly hair, brushing my hair this much did nothing to help me, but I loved spending time together.

It really took me until college to get a better handle on my hair – what type of conditioner to use, how to comb it, not brush it, and that not blow drying it is always the best option. Hair Love brought all of those memories back to me and I loved taking that little trip down memory lane.

What I also really appreciated was a story about a little girl embracing all the amazing things her hair could do. The relationship between the dad and daughter was so touching, and the illustrations just brought the story completely to life. And for as much as I know about my own hair, my partner is biracial with locs flowing past his waist and his hair regimen is definitely a labor of love. After being together for ten years, I’m getting pretty good at helping to keep locs conditioned, twisted, and looking great. To see a character in a book with hair just like my partner’s was unbelievably exciting as it’s not something you see every day. Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison is a story about hair, but also a story about a father and daughter’s bond.

Need to Know:

Title: Hair Love
Author: Matthew A. Cherry
Illustrator: Vashti Harrison
Publisher: Kokila
Publication Date: May 14, 2019
Page Number: 32 pgs.