Johanita is not happy with her short, tight curls. She tries on different wigs in her pursuit of beauty.
Johanita wants to have beautiful hair like the other girls at school. Johanita’s hair is very short. When her mother takes her to the hair salon, Johanita tries a series of wigs out each day at school, but she can’t decide which one makes her look beautiful.
After a new girl starts at school, Johanita discovers that beauty comes in many forms and it isn’t your hair that makes you beautiful.
Professional Reviews
Empathy and Understanding
Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said in an article, 'Hair is something we see, but we don't understand what's behind it, kind of like race. It's the same way that something seems obvious, but it is really complicated and complex'. The relationship that young girls have with their hair is central to Dawn Doig's picture book Hair Peace, based on her experiences in Cameroon. Doig expertly captures the anxiety that girls can feel concerning their hair and, in a wider context, their bodies. Yet she never condescends or talks down to her audience; she empathizes with their concerns which makes the book much more effective. I think Doig brilliantly conveyed her key message, and the central theme of body positivity hits home. The character of Johanita is also beautifully portrayed. A lot of young readers will relate to her because, on one hand, she is fun and playful and on the other, she is very insecure. Watching her journey to self-confidence was very sweet and touching. I think Doig has done a wonderful job creating an engaging main character.
The illustrations by Savannah Horton complement Dawn Doig's story nicely. They were very effective in reinforcing the book's main ideas, and will probably help younger readers understand more fully what is happening. Overall, I think Hair Peace is a great picture book. It has a very powerful, uplifting message that children (and probably some adults) will be able to relate to and I was floored by this book. I did not expect the ending. I thought it was like a few other ones I have read, and good. But SPOILER when the book addressed Alopecia and took it to another level. THAT makes this a STAD OUT READ!
The little girls search for identity and desire to fit in, is very well written, but then when the author cleverly adds the layer of understanding that there is so much more to life than vanity I was floored. BRAVO a FIVE STAR unless I can give more!!!!
Simple and Meaningful
It's true that the simplest stories have the most meaning. I don't usually read children's books, but I got intrigued by the topic. I can still remember when I was a little girl how hair was so important to me. Once I had to get a short cut (almost like a boy), because there was a lice outbreak in school, and I cried so much. But this didn't change my friends' attitude towards me. We still laighed and played and I quickly forgot about my hair. This book reminded me of that early life lesson. Friendship is more important than how you look. Simple and meaningful.
Hair Peace
Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said in an article, 'Hair is something we see, but we don't understand what's behind it, kind of like race. It's the same way that something seems obvious, but it is really complicated and complex'. The relationship that young girls have with their hair is central to Dawn Doig's picture book Hair Peace, based on her experiences in Cameroon. Doig expertly captures the anxiety that girls can feel concerning their hair and, in a wider context, their bodies. Yet she never condescends or talks down to her audience; she empathizes with their concerns which makes the book much more effective. I think Doig brilliantly conveyed her key message, and the central theme of body positivity hits home. The character of Johanita is also beautifully portrayed. A lot of young readers will relate to her because, on one hand, she is fun and playful and on the other, she is very insecure. Watching her journey to self-confidence was very sweet and touching. I think Doig has done a wonderful job creating an engaging main character.
The illustrations by Savannah Horton complement Dawn Doig's story nicely. They were very effective in reinforcing the book's main ideas, and will probably help younger readers understand more fully what is happening. Overall, I think Hair Peace is a great picture book. It has a very powerful, uplifting message that children (and probably some adults) will be able to relate to and sympathize with. Johanita is also a very charming, likeable character who helps to draw the reader into the story. Coupled with Horton's images, Hair Peace is a sweet, inspiring story.
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