Stella's Stellar Hair

April 1, 2021

K-Gr 2-Stella, a young Afro-Latina, wakes up and is perturbed that her hair is not the way she wants it to be for the "Big Star Little Gala." She runs to her mother to fix her hair but is not pleased; her mother suggests visits to her aunts, who may have different answers. Stella uses her hoverboard to navigate visiting the planets where her aunts live: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and more. Every aunt has a distinct recommendation, but Stella remains unhappy and questing; she then creates her own hairstyle in a combination of all the suggestions. This joyful fantasy is more about persistence and individuality than it is about hair, and young readers will love the trip through the solar system. The back matter explains the connection between the hairstyles and the planets, in a fanciful blending of facts and speculation. VERDICT This journey has grace, whimsy, and panache, tied up by an explosive array of colors and textures.-Annmarie Braithwaite, New York P.L.

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December 21, 2021
Preschool-Grade 3 *Starred Review* Stella is a little girl with brown skin, big eyes, and amazing hair: enormous pink and purple waves set off by yellow, teal, fuchsia, and bright-green curls. When Stella wakes up on the day of the gala, she's upset because her hair isn't acting right. Her mom tries to help, but when Stella's not satisfied, Momma suggests a visit to Aunt Ofelia over on planet Mercury. Stella hops on her hoverboard and takes off on a tour of the solar system, visiting her stylish aunts on every planet and getting new hairdos at every stop. All the styles look fabulous on her aunts, but none of them seem perfect for Stella. Finally, Auntie Solana counsels Stella to let her hair do whatever it wants. Stella starts over, letting her hair do its own thing, incorporating just a little bit of glamour from each aunt. Finally happy, Stella has a wonderful time at the gala. The final pages explain why each aunt chooses a different hairstyle: Mars is harsh and dusty, so go with an updo; Uranus tilts on its axis, so braids and twists work best. The vibrant illustrations explode off the page and affirm the message to celebrate yourself.

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Starred review from November 15, 2020
An astronomically creative mix of science, fantasy, and African American culture. Stella, a little African American girl, needs to prepare for the Big Star Little Gala, but her hair isn't "acting right": "It twisted and turned, zigged and zagged, made loopity-loops and lots of curly Q's." A huge, swirly mix of purples and pinks with squiggles of yellow and green, Stella's hair often dominates the page and dwarfs the child. She asks Momma to help, but she sends her daughter instead to Aunt Ofelia on Mercury. Ofelia gives her a "poofy-smooth style"; on Venus, Auntie Alma creates a "royal lion's mane"; Earth's Aunt Rubi fashions her hair into an "elegant crown"; and so on. Stella proceeds throughout the galaxy and finally to the sun. At each stop, an aunt gives Stella a hairdo reflective of the aunt's own style and personality, but none fits Stella. Once helpful advice from Auntie Solana on the sun helps Stella realize the key to happiness with her hair, Stella attends the gala, completely satisfied, along with all of her beautiful Black aunts, sporting their plethora of hairstyles. In Moises' friendly cartoon images, the vibrant colors change with the location and the atmospheric conditions. The backmatter explains all the different aunts' hairstyles by speculating what style would be best adapted to the environment of each locale, if humans could live there. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 26.5% of actual size.) An innovative, refreshing, out-of-this-world tale about the incredible versatility of afro hair. (Picture book. 4-7)

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