Review Detail

In Wash Day Love, Tasha’s least favorite day of the week is here, wash-day. For Tasha this means stinging eyes, aching back, and so much water that gets everywhere. While Tasha is getting her hair washed, her big sister comforts her and Granny tells her of past wash days and now this weekly ritual is much more than just a chore, its bonding time between three generations of Black women.


What I Liked: The book opens with Tasha explaining why she isn’t much of a fan of wash day and her expressions clearly match her feelings about this chore. Throughout the book you can see her expression change as her Granny talks to her about past wash days and her sister shows her the final product of wash day. Tasha’s mom hums as she is doing her hair and then it's Tasha and her sister’s turn to wash their mom and Grannys hair.


This book does a great job at introducing individuals to what wash day is and what it looks like within Black households. While you might be familiar with the differences that come with Black hair, you might not know the significance of wash day and how it goes beyond just washing your hair. The author does a great job of showcasing how this weekly ritual connects generations of Black women and how stories are passed down during this time.


The illustrations throughout this book do a fantastic job at highlighting the different textures in Black hair, and the various hair styles for Black hair. Each of the women in this story have their hair done in various ways and what stood out to me was that they are all wearing their hair naturally. The various colors throughout were vibrant and entertaining as they brought this story to life.


Final Verdict: Wash Day Love is a sweet and charming book for children ages 4 and up whether they are familiar with the ritual of wash day or not. Children will be able to relate to Tasha who isn’t a fan of wash day while adults can relate to the mom or Granny who are sharing why wash day is important beyond hygienic reasons.