My Powerful Hair

Starred review from February 24, 2023

K-Gr 4-"I can't wait for my hair to grow" is the powerful opening to this book, which lays groundwork for this compelling story highlighting not only the significance of hair to Indigenous peoples, but also memory, generational trauma, and the power of healing. Using three generations of hair as the medium, Lindstom's sparse, poetic language ("Our ancestors say: Our hair is our memories. Our source of strength") and Littlebird's bright palette capture both serenity and hope. The debut illustrator's watercolor, ink, and computer-generated art resembles woodcuts-an effective medium for the etchings contained within the long, dark hair floating across double spreads. Deep blues, pinks, and purples, punctuated by hopeful yellow, highlight the joy of memory and culture, particularly on spreads that use circles to underscore connection between generations. That only one (muted) spread explicitly references the Indian boarding schools that robbed the narrator's grandmother of her hair highlights the power of healing, though back matter details the schools' cruelty and lasting legacy. VERDICT This is an emotionally searing story infused with important historical and cultural information on the significance of hair to Indigenous cultures. Highly recommended for all library collections.-Rebecca Kirshenbaum

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2023
"Our ancestors say / Our hair is our memories. / Our source of strength." Lindstrom's (author of Caldecott winner We Are Water Protectors, rev. 7/20, and an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) authentic storytelling text explains the importance of hair -- "Native/Indigenous peoples believe that hair holds strength and power" -- and its connection to Mother Earth. An Indigenous girl is eager for her hair to grow. She tells us that her mom kept her own hair short because she was told as a child it was "too wild." Nokomis (her grandmother) had long hair, but it was cut off at the Indian boarding school she was forced to attend as a child. The text follows the girl as her hair grows longer and longer: "When Nimishoomis taught me / how to fish for the first time, / my hair was at my ears"; "When my baby brother was born, / my hair touched my shoulders." The intergenerational interaction of family highlights the idea many Indigenous families have that future generations can reclaim what was lost. The narrative's powerful ending brings this story to a satisfying, hopeful conclusion. Debut illustrator Littlebird (a member of Oregon's Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) captures the closeness of the family and the strength and determination of the protagonist in bright colors set against woodgrain-like backgrounds. Subtle visual cues in the characters' facial expressions enable viewers to distinguish emotions as well as depicting the beauty and honor long hair holds for Indigenous people. Appended with an author's note and a short glossary of Ojibwe words. Naomi R. Caldwell

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from March 15, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* Caldecott author Lindstrom (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe) here celebrates the importance of hair to Indigenous cultures. Although her mother and grandmother have chosen to keep their hair short, this young protagonist cannot wait for her hair to grow long. She connects specific memories to her hair length: touching her ears when Nimishoomis (Grandfather) teaches her to fish; shoulder length when her brother is born; past her shoulders when she learns to make moccasins; and the middle of her back when she dances at Pow Wow. She shares traditional knowledge articulating that hair contains stories and memories, gives strength, and celebrates relationships. Noting the custom of cutting hair when a loved one dies, she further posits that hair is a living scrapbook. Littlebird's (Oregon Tribes of the Grand Ronde) pencil-and-digital art features simple shapes, flowing lines, and a palette of purples, turquoise, and greens, accented in yellow. With backgrounds suggesting wood grain and thickly outlined shapes throughout, the illustrations evoke woodcuts and give the presentation a timeless feel. Appended with an author's note that poignantly explains why haircutting at Indian residential schools was so traumatic, this makes a thoughtful and enlightening addition to the picture book shelves and a worthy choice for units on Indigenous cultures.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from May 15, 2023
A Native girl reflects on hair, both her own and her family's. The young narrator's Nokomis (Ojibwe for grandmother) and mother were not permitted to have long hair--her mother's was deemed "too wild," while Nokomis' was shorn at a residential school. The phrase "Our ancestors say" repeats throughout as we learn that "stories and memories are woven" into the young narrator's hair. Long Indigenous hair is a form of self-expression, honors ancestral knowledge, and is healing medicine, according to the ancestors. Littlebird's (enrolled Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) bold art matches the power of We Are Water Protectors author Lindstrom's (Anishinabe/M�tis, enrolled Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) words. Crisp, striking illustrations reminiscent of woodcuts celebrate life and depict characters' connections to Mother Earth as leaves swirl and splashes of vibrant colors dance across pages like confetti. Parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, and aunties are included, making for a loving portrayal of a tightknit extended Native family. The stages of the protagonist's hair growth serve as a timeline of events: When Nimishoomis (grandfather) taught the child to fish, her hair reached her ears; when her brother was born, it was shoulder-length. When Nimishoomis dies, the young girl cuts her hair to send powerful energy into the spirit world with him. As the book ends, the child decides to regrow her hair, and so does her mother. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A deeply moving and inspiring celebration of long hair and its significance in Indigenous cultures. (information on the importance of hair to Native/Indigenous peoples, Ojibwe glossary, author's note) (Picture book. 5-11)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2023
"Our ancestors say / Our hair is our memories. / Our source of strength." Lindstrom's (author of Caldecott winner We Are Water Protectors, rev. 7/20, and an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) authentic storytelling text explains the importance of hair -- "Native/Indigenous peoples believe that hair holds strength and power" -- and its connection to Mother Earth. An Indigenous girl is eager for her hair to grow. She tells us that her mom kept her own hair short because she was told as a child it was "too wild." Nokomis (her grandmother) had long hair, but it was cut off at the Indian boarding school she was forced to attend as a child. The text follows the girl as her hair grows longer and longer: "When Nimishoomis taught me / how to fish for the first time, / my hair was at my ears"; "When my baby brother was born, / my hair touched my shoulders." The intergenerational interaction of family highlights the idea many Indigenous families have that future generations can reclaim what was lost. The narrative's powerful ending brings this story to a satisfying, hopeful conclusion. Debut illustrator Littlebird (a member of Oregon's Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) captures the closeness of the family and the strength and determination of the protagonist in bright colors set against woodgrain-like backgrounds. Subtle visual cues in the characters' facial expressions enable viewers to distinguish emotions as well as depicting the beauty and honor long hair holds for Indigenous people. Appended with an author's note and a short glossary of Ojibwe words.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)