DINOSAURS LIVING IN MY HAIR! 2
by Jayne M. Rose-Vallee illustrated by Anni Matsick
The girl with impossible curls and dinosaurs that hide in them returns in this sequel from team Rose-Vallee and Matsick (Dinosaurs Living in MY HAIR!, 2015) about finding similarities among friends—and being brave when bullies are mean.
Sabrina, now in first grade, still has those uncontrollable curls; three dinosaurs have taken up residence near her bow. Classmates mock the curls of blonde Sabrina and four of her friends: Faye, Gage, Espuardo, and Chanelle. When dinosaurs fall out of Sabrina’s hair at recess, she’s worried her friends will judge, but it turns out they all have dinos of their own. Matsick’s watercolor illustrations of this group of friends are a delightful celebration of diversity. The hair in the group includes red, brown, and black, and the skin tones vary just as much; the children are as distinct as their dinosaurs, and the riot of colors is as vibrant as the kids’ imaginations. When the dinos save Sabrina from a mean bully’s pranks, she and her friends learn a powerful lesson about how to deal with bullies: “You might think that the dinosaurs / were key to our success, / but friends and self-acceptance are / the answer I profess.” Rose-Vallee’s rhyming text flows in perfect rhythm and rhyme, and her vocabulary choices are unique enough to offer a comfortable challenge for Sabrina’s fellow first-grade readers.
A great choice to highlight diverse friendships and believing in yourself—with a fun touch of dinosaurs.