Wanda

Sihle Nontshokweni

Book - 2021

Eight-year-old Wanda is unhappy due to the endless mocking of her hair by the boys at school, but when Makhulu (grandmother) shares her grooming secrets and stories of beautiful women with locks just like Wanda, she realizes her hair is a crown and is something to be proud of.

Saved in:

Children's Room Show me where

jE/Nontshok
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Nontshok Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Picture books for children
Picture books
Published
Northampton, MA : Crocodile Books, an imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Sihle Nontshokweni (author)
Other Authors
Mathabo Tlali (author), Chantelle Thorne (illustrator), Burgen Thorne
Edition
First American edition
Item Description
Original published in South Africa by Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd in 2019.
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 27 cm
Audience
Ages 3-8.
Grades K-1.
ISBN
9781623718640
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Eight-year-old Wanda is a Black girl who wears her natural hair to school each day, her tight curls forming a lovely cloud around her head like a queen's crown, or so her mother tells her. It's hard to remember that when two boys on the school bus repeatedly tease her for her "bush" and even her teacher makes her pull her hair back to look "neat and clean." By the time Wanda gets back home, she can no longer hold back her tears, and she collapses in her makhulu's (grandmother's) arms, admitting doesn't want the hair she has. But Makhulu is ready for her, producing a scrapbook of different hairstyles, from braids to twists, for Wanda to choose a new look from. Set in South Africa, this affecting story carries themes of bullying, self-confidence, and familial love that extend beyond geographic borders. Detailed illustrations capture the different textures of characters' hair and Wanda's fiercely felt emotions, while the tropical palette of seafoam, mango, and hot pink keeps the tone lifted as Wanda learns to proudly wear her crown.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this uplifting South African import informed by the African proverb Intombi mayizithembe ("A young girl must always remain confident"), coauthors Nontshokweni and Tlali follow Wanda, an eight-year-old Black child who struggles to accept her hair: "My hair is a crown, but one made of thorns." Teased about her Afro-textured hair by classmates, and wary of her teacher's punishment for students with unstyled natural hair ("I will get a black dot on my star chart. She will say it's a bird's nest"), Wanda "makes the big switch" every day--transforming her "cloud" of hair into pigtail puffs while dreaming of a smoother texture. Wanda believes her mother's affirmations ("My mother says my hair is strong and beautiful like clouds"), but it isn't until she sees pictures of powerful women with hair just like hers that Wanda embraces her crown, as well as its styling "secret" of "water and 100% olive oil." Drawing strength from a new hairdo, Wanda marches onto the bus the next morning with newfound conviction. Chantelle and Burgen Thorne's striking illustrations capture intimate scenarios in bright colors. A worthy, if meandering, celebration of Afro-textured crowns that simultaneously exposes how Black children are sometimes penalized for their textured hair. Back matter includes a brief South African--English glossary. Ages 4--8. (Mar.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 1--It's hard for eight-year-old Wanda to remember that Mama calls her hair a crown when Sizwe and Thula tease her on the bus and even her teacher demands that she change her "cloud" to a style that's "neat and clean." After another stressful day at school, she arrives home tearful and dejected. Fortunately, her grandmother is there with encouragement and practical help. First, she shows Wanda pictures of glamorous Black women with a variety of hairstyles. Then she uses a special comb and styling techniques on Wanda's hair. Even Sizwe and Thula admit that the results make her look like a queen. Wanda and most of her classmates are Black, but her teacher is shown only in shadow. The colorful illustrations not only depict the story's events but also express Wanda's shifting thoughts and emotions that affect her self-image. The back matter explains "Intombi mayizithembe"--an African proverb that means, "A young girl must always remain confident." VERDICT Originally published in South Africa, this book offers an international perspective on acceptance and celebration of different kinds of beauty that could complement similar titles in all collections.--Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Mankato

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

An affirmation of Afro hair that speaks to Black girls all over the African diaspora. In this South African story, brown-skinned Wanda, who has a huge crown of natural Afro hair, feels embarrassed and panicked whenever she rides the school bus because Thula and Sizwe call her "Miss Bush" on account of her hair. Each morning, Wanda's mama combs her hair into a halo and declares Wanda a queen and her hair a crown. But when Wanda gets to school, she transforms her hairdo into puffballs or other styles so that her teacher, who only appears in silhouette but is presumably White, will not label her hair a "bird's nest" or say she is inappropriately dressed for this school, where students wear uniforms. With the help of her makhulu (grandmother), who wears beautiful gray twists and shows Wanda photos of famous Black women wearing diverse hairstyles, Wanda gains a greater appreciation of her hair. Makhulu gives her a new style that her classmates admire. With a bright color palette of yellow, pink, blue, aqua, and green, this story highlights Wanda's positive female relationships and role models and helps her understand who she is in a broader cultural context. This story also addresses the systemic racism rooted in apartheid that lingers today in South African schools. A fine addition to the expanding body of picture books about Afro hair. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.