Hi Darlings,
I came across this book today in Barnes and Noble's and thought " How cute, I wonder what this is about." Sadly, I was not impressed. At first glance it seems approachable and playful until you start to read the content. I was waiting to find something in this book about the character's hair because that is what stood out to me. But there was hardly any mention of it. Instead I found weird verses about the character loving herself even if she looked like hideous creatures. This verse for example stayed with me: "I'd still like me with fleas or warts, or with a silly snout that snorts" Call me crazy but I didn't get it.
Sure, I understand the premise of the book. The little girl likes herself no matter how she looks and she has the confidence to not care what anyone thinks about her. What I don't understand is what's wrong with her in the first place. Here is another quote that remained in my mind:
"Even when I look a mess
I still don't like me any less
'cause nothing in this world, you know,
can change what's on the inside, and so..."
There is nothing seemingly wrong with the quote but the illustration was of her in bed with her dog and a huge afro. Personally I thought the character never looked better. I felt looking "a mess" could have been anything at all. why choose that? This book made me uneasy and I couldn't wait to find out who the author was. There was very little information about her but I do know that she is a woman that seems to be of Caucasian decent. so I thought perhaps she and the illustrator, who is also Caucasian, didn't really put much thought into the character, at least I hope they didn't. I read numerous reviews of the book and everyone seems to love the message. Even their children love it. So I decided to try to like the book but the more I thought about it, the more I found it insulting. Even the picture on the cover made me upset because the little girl is holding her hair with two fingers in each hand as though it isn't hers.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't read this book to any child; black, white or otherwise. It is completely counter-productive. I read a few reviews that compared it to Dr. Seuss which were two comical to even take seriously. Unlike Dr. Seuss's characters, this little girl is obviously African American. There is nothing mystical about her. There is even a page where a little white boy is pointing and laughing at her and of course she doesn't care. Not to mention her liking herself even if she had "Purple polka dotted lips and hippo hips." Come on!
This book is doing little black children no favors. Beaumont makes it seem as though it is a disability to be Black. I have nothing against children with disabilities but being black is not a condition. The character doesn't even have a name. I applaud her for wanting to write a book that inspires children to love themselves but I am disappointed by the delivery. The message comes across as " You are who you are, so you might as well like it." while I think it should have been, 'What I am is beautiful and I am just as normal as you are. If this book were about a little girl who were badly burned or disfigured in anyway it would make sense but it isn't and to someone who was once a kinky haired little girl, it is extremely offensive. I give it 1 afro simply because the intent to deliver a positive message was there. Until next time naturals...
P.S. If you want sneak peek of the book, check out the pictures below.
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