Written by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Kokila, 2019
My name is Zuri, and I have hair that has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way.
Zuri’s hair lets her be whatever she wants to be, whether it’s a princess in braids or a superhero with puffs. One big day, she wakes up early, while her busy dad is still asleep, and tries to figure out how to do a perfect hairstyle. Her dad wakes up and wants to help her with her hair. The first two styles are not great. The puffs he makes look good, but the bands holding them come out. He tries picking it out into an afro, but Zuri is not impressed. She tells him she needs her hair to be special and he hugs her, telling her they’ll figure it out. Together, they watch a video and he creates funky puff buns that look awesome. She puts on her superhero cape and runs to meet her mom at the door. Mom complements her hair and Zuri proudly tells her that Daddy did it. Daddy says they learned from the best.
Author (and former NFL wide receiver) Matthew A. Cherry first told this story in the 2019 animated short film (with the same title), which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. (It’s available on YouTube and you should definitely check it out if you’ve never seen it.) In the short film, Zuri’s mother is leaving the hospital after chemotherapy, which is different from the book, in which we see that she’s coming from somewhere (with a suitcase in hand and a ‘Welcome Home’ banner on the wall) but where she’s been is unclear. Either way, the focus is very much on the lovely relationship between Zuri and her father, who is clearly pushed out of his comfort zone in doing her hair. The story is so sweet and you come away from it just loving this family so much.
Illustrator Vashti Harrison gives these characters her own touch in her digital illustrations and, in keeping with her usual style, they are adorable and full of emotion. In addition to showing a dad lovingly learning a new skill, it’s a celebration of natural black hair and its amazing versatility. I like to think there have been many dads who have learned some ‘hair love’ skills of their own after their daughters have read this book.
And what did we learn? What I take away from this book is that parents can show up for their kids in so many ways and in doing so, they create bonds that last a lifetime.
The Possum's Bookshelf 