A young girl finds a neighbor who can and will let her realize the possibilities her hair offers, not just resigning herself to bad hair for which she has been ridiculed. ( )

What a lovely and useful book! Text heavy, but the images are wonderful, and the hair care section in the back seems well done. ( )

A young girl is teased because her hair is different than the other children. She runs to her neighbor's home to tell her how sad and embarrassed she is. She then learns that even though she is different, she is beautiful....just like all of the plants in a garden.

Distraught at being teased in school about her hair, MacKenzie runs to her neighbor Miss Tillie's house, sure that she will find some answers there. Not only is there a glory to Miss Tillie's house, with its beautiful garden, there is a glory to Miss Tillie herself, with her beautiful hair. Listening with compassion, MacKenzie's neighbor agrees to help her, using the metaphor of the garden to show her that there are many, equal kinds of beauty, and that all of those kinds require nurturing...

Although author/artist Cozbi A. Cabrera has illustrated a number of picture-books prior to this, My Hair Is a Garden represents her debut as both writer and illustrator. It is a gorgeous, heartfelt book, one that pairs a perceptive, thought-provoking story with beautiful visuals. The metaphor of the garden is an apt, and very useful one, not just because it highlights the diversity of beauty, but because it emphasizes how important self-care and nutrition are, to producing good end results. This is a lesson from which we all can benefit. There is an afterword giving details about caring for black hair, as well as two recipes, for an herbal rinse and for moisturizing shea butter. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about black hair, as well as to anyone searching for children's stories that emphasizes that there are many kinds of beauty. ( )

My hair is a Garden by Cozbi Cabrera is a cute information picture book about African American hair and how to manage it. In the story MacKenzie an African American girl is teased about her short, dry, nappy hair in school so she goes to her neighbor, Ms.Tillie house, who has a beautiful home and garden. Ms. Tillie washes MacKenzie hair and show her the garden to compare it to hair growth. MacKenzie becomes fascinated and she wanted to learn how to grow and take care of beautiful hair, Ms. Tillie showed her and her hair grew. This picture book also includes step by step directions for caring for Black hair. The theme of this book is black hair is like a garden, it has to be nurtured and cared for. ( )