WANDA

An affirmation of Afro hair that speaks to Black girls all over the African diaspora.

In this South African story, brown-skinned Wanda, who has a huge crown of natural Afro hair, feels embarrassed and panicked whenever she rides the school bus because Thula and Sizwe call her “Miss Bush” on account of her hair. Each morning, Wanda’s mama combs her hair into a halo and declares Wanda a queen and her hair a crown. But when Wanda gets to school, she transforms her hairdo into puffballs or other styles so that her teacher, who only appears in silhouette but is presumably White, will not label her hair a “bird’s nest” or say she is inappropriately dressed for this school, where students wear uniforms. With the help of her makhulu (grandmother), who wears beautiful gray twists and shows Wanda photos of famous Black women wearing diverse hairstyles, Wanda gains a greater appreciation of her hair. Makhulu gives her a new style that her classmates admire. With a bright color palette of yellow, pink, blue, aqua, and green, this story highlights Wanda’s positive female relationships and role models and helps her understand who she is in a broader cultural context. This story also addresses the systemic racism rooted in apartheid that lingers today in South African schools.

A fine addition to the expanding body of picture books about Afro hair.