Review by Booklist Review
The rich African history of Black hair is spotlighted in Martins' latest picture book. The story begins with a young girl getting her hair braided. As she sits in the chair, a story is woven where she is presented with the history of Black hairstyles and their roots in Africa. An acrostic poem spelling "hairstory" spotlights the beauty of Black hair and is interspersed with lengthier text highlighting the historical roots of Black hairstyles in Africa. Various African tribes and cultures are represented in stunning, softly textured illustrations that show the process of people styling their hair, just as the girl is continuing that tradition now. The illustrations create an otherworldly feel as readers are transported through history, lore, and the power of Black cultural experiences. After a glorious journey through Black hair history, the young girl is shown proudly looking through the mirror at her own unique hairstory. Back matter provides additional information on the tribes whose hairstories are presented in the book. African culture and history, vibrant illustrations, and the magic of Black hair combine for a beautifully styled tale readers will enjoy again and again.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Martins and Mukodiri Uchendu explore the cultural significance of hair across African hairstyling traditions. Stanzas beginning with "My hair is" define the feature as art, identity, roots, stories, and more, while contextualizing paragraphs expand on each concept. "My hair is history" ("Woven into patterns from thousands of years ago") is followed by information about the Ghanaian word sankofa, which means "to go back and get." Elsewhere, "My hair is Orí" signifies hair's spiritual importance through a Yorùbá concept: "My people believe the head is sacred--it contains the soul." Digital illustrations with chalk- and etch-like textures supply portraits of figures in the past and present. It's an insightful, visually stunning exploration of African hair: "each strand, a history. In every style, a story." An extensive note, "Some African Tribes and Their Hairstories," concludes. Ages 4--8. (Jan.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
This picture book opens with a wordless double-page spread set in a salon where a girl flips through a book of hairstyles while getting her hair done. The girl narrates: "MY HAIR IS HISTORY. Woven into patterns from thousands of years ago. Centuries of meaning are braided on my head." Martins's main text goes on to enumerate other positive attributes: "My hair is art," "...identity," "...roots," etc. Close readers may notice a subtle acrostic spread out amidst the poetic text. Accompanying the verse-like narrative, paragraphs in smaller print provide information, poignantly showing longstanding connections between contemporary popular Black hairstyles and styles that began in Africa, as well as related African customs. For example, the pre-colonization idea that only family members should style one another's hair because holding someone's hair grants you "power over them" evolved to the view of professional hairdressers as "the most trustworthy [people] in the community." Other background on Black hair includes that in the U.S., combs for African hair weren't available until the 1960s. Uchendu's gauzy digital art primarily features soft lines and pastel colors, which give the book a throwback feel fitting for a text designed to explain how the past shapes the present. Three double-page spreads focus on "Some African Tribes and Their Hairstories" at book's end. See also This Hair Belongs by Brown-Wood on page 45. marva anne HintonMarch/April 2026 p.84 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A celebration of Black hair. A modern child getting her hair done explains that her braids are rooted in "centuries of meaning." In short, commanding lines of verse styled in a large black font, she extols her locks: They are stories "told from mother / to daughter," "an ancient Road Map," "Tangled Strands / coaxed free with an Afro comb." Hair is art, beauty, identity, and more. Longer paragraphs in a smaller font fill in the details with historical practices and beliefs about hair--for instance, how, in Yorùbá culture, the Earth is depicted as a "goddess who combs her long hair with a hoe," or how enslaved people braided maps of escape routes into their hair. References to Yorùbá heritage are prevalent throughout, but backmatter goes into detail about other peoples, such as the Masaai, the Himba, and the Afar. Uchendu's distinctive art makes dramatic use of light and dark, pattern, and distinctive palettes, creating a visual feast for readers to pore over, with several breathtaking spreads. Flipping through the pages to gaze at the beautiful styles is itself an awe-inspiring, confidence-boosting, and emotional experience. While the text placement doesn't lend itself to the most intuitive read-aloud experience, each element is nevertheless intriguing and nurturing. A book to return to often, to build knowledge and foster pride.(Informational picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
