Crocodile Books
Wanda
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$17.95
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Wanda
Author(s): Sihle Nontshokweni, Mathabo Tlali
An empowering picture book from South Africa about a young girl who overcomes endless teasing
Skipping Stones Honor Award Winner 2021
Meet Wanda, with her beautiful head full of hair. She is brave and strong, but she's unhappy because of the endless teasing by the boys at school for her "thorn bush" and "thunderstorm cloud." Through Grandma Makhulu's hair secrets and stories she finds the courage to face her fears and learn to appreciate that her hair is a crown‚ "not a burden‚" and it is something to be proud of. This book is about identity and beauty, celebrating how cultural pride is learned and passed on over generations.
Review(s):
“An affirmation of Afro hair that speaks to Black girls all over the African diaspora … 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 systemic racism rooted in the apartheid system that lingers today in South African schools. A fine addition to the expanding body of picture books about Afro hair.”
“Uplifting … Chantelle and Burgen Thorne’s striking illustrations capture intimate scenarios in bright colors. A worthy … celebration of Afro-textured crowns that simultaneously exposes how Black children are sometimes penalized for their textured hair. Ages 4–8.”
“Set in South Africa, this affecting story carries themes of bullying, self-confidence, and familial love that extend beyond geographic borders. Detailed illustrations capture the different textures of characters’ hair and Wanda’s fiercely felt emotions, while the tropical palette of seafoam, mango, and hot pink keeps the tone lifted as Wanda learns to proudly wear her crown.”
“[T]his book offers an international perspective on acceptance and celebration of different kinds of beauty that could complement similar titles in all collections … The colorful illustrations not only depict the story’s events but also express Wanda’s shifting thoughts and emotions that affect her self-image. The back matter explains ‘Intombi mayizithembe’—an African proverb that means, ‘A young girl must always remain confident.’”
ISBN: 9781623718640
Author(s): Sihle Nontshokweni, Mathabo Tlali
An empowering picture book from South Africa about a young girl who overcomes endless teasing
Skipping Stones Honor Award Winner 2021
Meet Wanda, with her beautiful head full of hair. She is brave and strong, but she's unhappy because of the endless teasing by the boys at school for her "thorn bush" and "thunderstorm cloud." Through Grandma Makhulu's hair secrets and stories she finds the courage to face her fears and learn to appreciate that her hair is a crown‚ "not a burden‚" and it is something to be proud of. This book is about identity and beauty, celebrating how cultural pride is learned and passed on over generations.
Review(s):
“An affirmation of Afro hair that speaks to Black girls all over the African diaspora … 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 systemic racism rooted in the apartheid system that lingers today in South African schools. A fine addition to the expanding body of picture books about Afro hair.”
“Uplifting … Chantelle and Burgen Thorne’s striking illustrations capture intimate scenarios in bright colors. A worthy … celebration of Afro-textured crowns that simultaneously exposes how Black children are sometimes penalized for their textured hair. Ages 4–8.”
“Set in South Africa, this affecting story carries themes of bullying, self-confidence, and familial love that extend beyond geographic borders. Detailed illustrations capture the different textures of characters’ hair and Wanda’s fiercely felt emotions, while the tropical palette of seafoam, mango, and hot pink keeps the tone lifted as Wanda learns to proudly wear her crown.”
“[T]his book offers an international perspective on acceptance and celebration of different kinds of beauty that could complement similar titles in all collections … The colorful illustrations not only depict the story’s events but also express Wanda’s shifting thoughts and emotions that affect her self-image. The back matter explains ‘Intombi mayizithembe’—an African proverb that means, ‘A young girl must always remain confident.’”
ISBN: 9781623718640