Hair Love

Hair Love is a heartwarming and gentle book about a little girl named Zuri and her father struggling to do her hair. It is filled with an abundance of humorous and joyful moments, but where the book really shines for me is in its unabashed celebration of Zuri’s hair. In a country where Black femmes are constantly being labeled as less-than, the importance of this book cannot be overstated.

This story is about a girl whose hair has “a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way.” So when she gets ready for a big day, she wants the perfect hairstyle. This is where her father comes in and helps create a beautiful look. This appeals to those who have unruly hair and the nice twist is that Daddy gets to show his creative side. The daughter is proud of her hair, and her father. 

Hair Love highlights the dilemma of a little girl needing to do her hair when only Dad is home. This beautiful story reminds us that while a Mom and Dad each bring their own skillset when it comes to caring for their kids, both love their children and always do their best to help. We don’t see stories about dads and daughters often enough, and this one is just heart-warming.

According to the CDC, Black dads are actually more likely than their non-Black counterparts to “feed, eat with, bathe, diaper, dress, play with, and read to” their kids on a daily basis. Cherry’s book is both a cute story for kids and an important counterpoint to the pervasive, damaging myth that Black fathers are somehow not as involved in their children’s lives. Harrison’s illustrations are fun, the story is laser-focused on a little girl’s hair struggles and her father’s many attempts to “do” his daughter’s hair, and the ending is magical. This could be--if it’s not already--the next iconic children’s… show more.