THE GOOD HAIR DAY

Noah is a boy who longs for lengthy locks, but will others support his wish?

As his birthday approaches, brown-skinned Noah begins dropping not-so-subtle hints about the gifts he’s hoping for: a telescope, a toy robot, and crafting beads. But what Noah wants most is something he can’t bring himself to admit—something that his sister and mom have but not his dad, his grandpa, his uncle, the mailman, or almost any other boy in class. What Noah desperately wants is something “he just didn’t think he was allowed to ask for”: long hair. Noah’s longing becomes apparent to his observant family; they notice when Noah breaks down after a buzzcut and when he wears a T-shirt on his head to resemble hair cascading down his shoulders. In honor of his unspoken birthday wish, Noah’s family (including his lighter-skinned, mustached father; his brown-skinned, wheelchair-using mother; and his brown-skinned sister) gives him his first wig. The child’s joy is moving, captured in Yang’s vivacious images, which glow with warm colors and lively details. This gesture of celebration has beautiful consequences. One year later, Noah happily sports shoulder-length locks, which he continues to grow. Combined with backmatter offering helpful “conversation starters” around “gender, identity, and self-expression,” this tender validation of one boy’s emotional experiences around his gender presentation is a valuable, affirming tale for all children. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A heartwarming story that’s ultimately about far more than hair.