Hairstory

3.8

0.0 (0)

249 0

Write Review Add to favorites

Author(s)

Sope Martins

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Briana Mukodiri Uchendu

Publisher

Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

January 06, 2026

ISBN

978-1665938105

Buy This Book

Joy hums from this “glorious…beautifully styled” (Booklist, starred review)picture book celebration of the richness of the African heritage behind braids, locs, cornrows, and all manner of crowning glory, from ancient times to present day—perfect for fans of Sulwe and We Are the Ship.

With the lushest of language, a young girl getting her hair styled tells an overall history of African hair. Beads. Feathers. Cowries. Threads of gold. Ivory. Charcoal. Pearls. Bantu knots. Cornrows. Goddess Braids. Maps. Seeds. Afros. Clay. Dreadlocks. Woven with the greatest care. Across different African cultures. Everything rich with meaning.

- Centuries of meaning! Hair! It’s woven with history.
- It is living art—can be adorned with intricate rings, mother of pearl, feathers.
- It is identity.
- It shapes community.
- It can speak to age, wealth, or power.
- It provided escape maps for the enslaved to follow when written word was forbidden. Woven with seeds, pearls, gold, it provided a way to survive after escape.
- And to many, it contains the soul.

For centuries, people of African descent have faced prejudice and judgment over their hair. Backlash for their styles. Dictated to as to what styles are “acceptable”. But author Sope Martins boldly, exquisitely, subverts this all in her celebration of African hair and its complicated, powerful heritage.

Editor review

1 review

Celebration of African Hair and Heritage

January 04, 2026 (Updated: June 12, 2026)

Overall rating

3.8

Plot

4.0

Characters

3.0

Writing Style

3.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

In this book, a young girl is getting her hair styled, and as this occurs, she provides us with an overall history of African hair. She talks about beads, feathers, charcoal, pearls, cornrows, maps, seeds, dreadlocks, etc., all while ensuring that different African cultures are portrayed.

What I Liked: This book begins by introducing you to a young girl who is getting her hair done. This book includes both a story and informative pieces about African hair, tied into the story being told. The young girl makes a statement about her hair before further expanding on that statement, such as how her hair is stories and just what that means over time.

The illustrations throughout this book do a fantastic job of going back and forth from current times in depicting the young girl getting her hair done at different times, and historical moments depicting how hair plays a role in African history. The illustrations are soft and include a variety of colors that do a great job of highlighting the various people that are depicted. The illustrator also did a great job with the various types of hair styles and the textures.

Final Verdict: HairStory is a beautiful celebration of African hair and its heritage. This book is great for children ages 4 and up to highlight the importance of hair in African heritage, and also to showcase the history of African hair. This is a great book to share the meaning of hair, its history, the identity, the way it helps build and shape community, and how its been used to help others.