Monday, September 13, 2010

The Hair Book

The Hair Book
Graham Tether ~ Roy McKie
Random House, 1979


To further my crush on Roy McKie, the boy has (for some reason) been focusing on this book of late. An apt companion to its sisters The Nose Book, The Eye Book and The Tooth Book, I adore Roy's drawings because they're filled with so much happiness and joy. Perhaps most famous for illustrating the Seuss classic Ten Apples Up on Top, along with others like the Workman Henry Beard books from the 70s, In a People House, and my personal favorite Summer... ooohhhhh, I could wax poetic for a lifetime about the butterflies his books give me. But let us not go there, and instead stay here, where hair is the issue, the complaint and the blessing, no matter what size, shape or kink it takes.

HAIR!
HAIR!
It's everywhere.
Some have a little.
Some have lots.
Plain hair.
Striped hair.
Polka dots.
Curls and braids
and beards and lashes
Whiskers
Eyebrows
Long mustaches.
Fun fun fun! And a perfect beginning reader to boot. I love books that celebrate differences in a positive way, rather than as a cautionary tale. Roy's optimism for the world is so infectious, if you don't catch it from him, I hope that you'll at least catch it secondhand from me. If I could live in his universe of black lines, bold color and visual glee --even for a moment-- I would die a happy woman.

(And pardon my over-the-top enthusiasm. That's puppy love for you.)Also by:
Summer
Bennett Cerf's Book of Animal Riddles
Melisande
The Nose Book

—————

Read along on Facebook, Twitter and Etsy!

3 comments:

  1. My daughter was obsessed with this book a few years ago. She loved all the different hair types. I need to bring it out again for my toddler son.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No need to be apologetic - Roy McKie is awesome! I also had "My Book About ME" and a couple Random House Picturebacks he illustrated, "The Joke Book" and "Guess A Rhyme".

    ReplyDelete
  3. WOW what a great book .... my boys are right into hair they would love this....adding it to my list now :)

    ReplyDelete