Minu and Her Hair

PreS-Gr 2–Minu’s hair is wild. It’s tangled. It’s bushy. Some days she looks “like a cow with two horns!” Neither Minu nor her family can control her hair and it frustrates her and everyone else. Except her grandfather. Unconcerned, Appuppa explains to Minu that her hair is a gift of her genetics, and that it can be whatever she wants it to be: a cloud in the sky, or waves in the ocean. That’s why he loves it. Minu’s perspective shifts, and she finds acceptance. Minu and her family are from the Indian subcontinent, with hair of all types, from straight to curly to bald, in Appuppa’s case. Illustrations depicting Minu’s larger-than-life hair bring energy and humor to this simple story. It is a narrative wrapped around a single idea, which makes it easy to share with the youngest of children. While the theme of hair acceptance has been written about recently, this one comes from a unique cultural perspective.