Happy to Be Nappy
Author: Bell Hooks
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Grade Level: K-2
If you’re in the Montclair neighborhood…
Summary
Happy to be Nappy is a sweet, simple story that celebrates 'nappy' hair. The words practically dance upon the page amongst the watercolor pictures
of black girls proudly donning their ‘do’s- intricately braided, cut short,
piled high up on their heads, and free flowing down their backs. They poise,
curious to see each other’s festive hairstyles- eager to indulge in their
individuality and rejoice with a community of friends. With a wisp of a brushstroke, smirks and
grins welcome us into the lives of girls beaming with joy and pride. These
girls are “happy to be nappy hair!”
How does this book represent Self-love and Knowledge?
Just check out this title! Each and every girl in the book
radiates with self-love as they embrace the individuality of their hairstyles.
More than the pride in their new ‘do, these girls celebrate the pride of their gender,
culture and community.
Activity
I can’t wait to read this book in my future classroom! This
book just beckons readers to playfully rejoice in their individuality and wear
it proud. One potential idea I have is
that students will discover a feature of themselves that they want to celebrate.
Exploring a variety of media-oil pastels, watercolor, and textures- each
individual will create collages to share with the class. To foster a community
of learners rejoicing in one another, I will then assign a peer to each
student, and they will choose another feature about the peer celebrate in the
form of an “ode” poem.
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