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Erandi's Braids
The yellow dress Erandi wants for her birthday will look beautiful with her long, thick braids. But Mama's fishing net is full of holes, and there isn't enough money to buy both a new net and a birthday dress. The only solution lies with the hair buyers from the city. But Mama's hair isn't nearly as beautiful as Erandi's. Will Erandi have to choose between her birthday present and her braids? This touching tale of love and sacrifice is sprinkled throughout with Spanish words and expressions.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
3 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
February 15, 2012
This is a moving story about a little girl named Erandi that lives in a quaint Mexican village with her Mama. It will soon be Erandi's birthday and she wants nothing more than a new, beautiful dress to wear to the village fiesta. Erandi's Mama is resolute on getting her that new dress, but has trouble finding the money to buy it for her, especially since their fishing net is full of holes and will need to be replaced. A voice coming from a loudspeaker in the street is heard by Erandi and her Mama shouting "Hair! Hair! We will pay the best prices for your hair. Come to Miguel's Barber Shop tomorrow". You see, in those times (nineteen forties and fifties), business people from textile companies would travel to this region of Mexico because it was a well-known fact that the women of this region had unusually long and beautiful hair. Erandi's hair was no exception. Mama determined to get Erandi her dress for her birthday, decides to go to the barber shop to sell her hair only to be turned away because as the barber put it, "Your hair is not long enough". Witnessing this sacrifice her Mama was going to make gave Erandi the courage to sacrifice her hair in order to get a new fishing net. This touching sacrifice ended up allowing Erandi's Mama to be able to purchase a new net, her new dress, and a doll she had spotted in the store that she liked.
This story and it's accompanying illustrations reflect an accurate depiction of life in Mexican towns during this era. Award-winning illustrator Tomie dePaola's use of warm colors and illustrations of traditional Mexican pottery and clothing supplements the story's overall mood and theme of love and sacrifice. It is a great book for grade levels K-3rd and can be used in multicultural instruction. The book also has a glossary that includes spanish words that are used throughout the story. This is a very good book to add to your multicultural collection. Another book that might be a good supplement to the theme of this book is the Caldecott Honor Book 'A Chair for My Mother', by Vera B. Williams.
This story and it's accompanying illustrations reflect an accurate depiction of life in Mexican towns during this era. Award-winning illustrator Tomie dePaola's use of warm colors and illustrations of traditional Mexican pottery and clothing supplements the story's overall mood and theme of love and sacrifice. It is a great book for grade levels K-3rd and can be used in multicultural instruction. The book also has a glossary that includes spanish words that are used throughout the story. This is a very good book to add to your multicultural collection. Another book that might be a good supplement to the theme of this book is the Caldecott Honor Book 'A Chair for My Mother', by Vera B. Williams.
March 4, 2023
Awesome book!!
November 9, 2019
Author’s Note at back gives historical context of this story’s focus
February 7, 2011
Published: 1999, G.P. Putnam
Age: 6-9
Erandi is a little girl with beautiful long braids who lives with her mother in Patzcuaro, Mexico in the 1940’s or 1950’s. She is excited about her birthday and an upcoming fiesta. She wants a new dress to wear to the fiesta and a doll for her birthday. But her mother is poor and needs a new net to catch fish for them to eat. Merchants from the city come to their village to buy the local women’s hair, so her mother takes her to the barber. Erandi is afraid that her mother will make her cut her long braids but she is relieved when it is her mother who goes into the barber’s chair. Unfortunately, her mother’s hair is not long enough so Erandi feels bad and decides to offer her hair. Then her mother feels bad. This is a story about a little girl’s love and sacrifice for her family and a mother’s compassion. There are a few Spanish words in the text that are explained in a glossary at the beginning. There is also an author’s note at the end explaining the once popular practice of cosmetic and textile factories searching for the long, beautiful hair of the Tarascan women for wigs, embroidery, and eyelashes. But Tomie DePaola’s paintings are really the best part of the story with his earthy muted colors that bring the characters to life. It would be interesting to research a study about these remote villagers and their practice of selling their hair.(less
Age: 6-9
Erandi is a little girl with beautiful long braids who lives with her mother in Patzcuaro, Mexico in the 1940’s or 1950’s. She is excited about her birthday and an upcoming fiesta. She wants a new dress to wear to the fiesta and a doll for her birthday. But her mother is poor and needs a new net to catch fish for them to eat. Merchants from the city come to their village to buy the local women’s hair, so her mother takes her to the barber. Erandi is afraid that her mother will make her cut her long braids but she is relieved when it is her mother who goes into the barber’s chair. Unfortunately, her mother’s hair is not long enough so Erandi feels bad and decides to offer her hair. Then her mother feels bad. This is a story about a little girl’s love and sacrifice for her family and a mother’s compassion. There are a few Spanish words in the text that are explained in a glossary at the beginning. There is also an author’s note at the end explaining the once popular practice of cosmetic and textile factories searching for the long, beautiful hair of the Tarascan women for wigs, embroidery, and eyelashes. But Tomie DePaola’s paintings are really the best part of the story with his earthy muted colors that bring the characters to life. It would be interesting to research a study about these remote villagers and their practice of selling their hair.(less
March 6, 2013
Erandi’s Braids is a fictional story about a little girl in the Tarascan Tribe who fears that because of financial stress her mother will make her cut her braids and sell them to the hair merchants for money. Once her and her mother arrives at the barbershop Erandi finds that her mother is actually there to try and sell her own hair. After her mother is told that her hair is no good and she sees the disappointment on her mother’s face, Erandi becomes fearless and actually volunteers to cut her beautiful braids and sell them to the merchant.
I would definitely use this text in my classroom to show students that in some cultures the hair is considered and extension of who you are and not everyone sees cutting your hair as a simple thing of physical upkeep. The students could use the text to jump start a conversation about what kind of rituals and beliefs exist within their cultures.
The author, Antonio Hernandez Madrigal is actually a native of the Tarascan Tribe. He used the many stories of his grandmother to formulate Erandi’s Braids and express the values of his Mexican heritage. Madrigal does an excellent job of positively portraying the characters in the story, even considering the fact that they were supposed to be portraying a family facing hardships. Erandi’s Braids relate to my topic in that it provides a very detailed look into the Mexican beliefs and thoughts surrounding the value of hair. It gives a different perspective.
I would definitely use this text in my classroom to show students that in some cultures the hair is considered and extension of who you are and not everyone sees cutting your hair as a simple thing of physical upkeep. The students could use the text to jump start a conversation about what kind of rituals and beliefs exist within their cultures.
The author, Antonio Hernandez Madrigal is actually a native of the Tarascan Tribe. He used the many stories of his grandmother to formulate Erandi’s Braids and express the values of his Mexican heritage. Madrigal does an excellent job of positively portraying the characters in the story, even considering the fact that they were supposed to be portraying a family facing hardships. Erandi’s Braids relate to my topic in that it provides a very detailed look into the Mexican beliefs and thoughts surrounding the value of hair. It gives a different perspective.
October 22, 2013
This story is about a little girl who lives in Mexico with long, beautiful, thick braids. She wants a new dress for her birthday, but her family is poor. Her mother sees the people who buy hair as a solution to their problem. She could just sell her hair to fix their fishing net and get Erandi the new dress she wants for her birthday, but the hair buyers say the Erandi's mother's hair is not thick or long enough. Erandi then makes the sacrifice of selling her beautiful hair to get the money to buy a new fishing net. As a teacher this book will be useful in so many ways. It can teach children a little about Mexican culture, and what happens a lot of the time in villages. They can also learn about where the fake hair they see people wearing comes from. They can also learn about selflessness and doing things that you don't want to just to help others. Since this story is about a Mexican family, students will have the opportunity to learn about Mexican culture. The author, Antonio Madrigal, is a Mexican from the same tribe as Erandi. He wrote this story based off of his experiences. The illustrator, Tomie DePoala, did a great job making the illustrations very realistic. Each picture corresponded to the text, while giving students a good idea of what that area really looks like. The illustrations were also nice to grab the attention of the readers.
December 10, 2018
The book genre characterization is multicultural. Erandi is a young Spanish girl who lives in Mexico with her Mama.
This book was great! The students were able to learn some Spanish words and learn about the cultural of some villages in Mexico. It is almost Erandi's birthday and she hopes to get a new dress that she can wear to the fiesta. When going to catch fish, Mama notices that the fishnet has many holes and they will need a new one. Erandi and her Mama do not have much money, but luckily it is almost time for the the "sell your hair" event. Men come in and buy the most long and beautiful hair in the village. This year, Mama's hair is too short but Erandi decides to sell hers. Mama was extremely proud of Erandi and they agree on something to buy together.
I would use this book in a lesson on social studies about needs and wants. What did Erandi need and what did she want. It can also be the introduction to Mexico and Mexican cultures.
The writing trait for this book is voice. As a female with long hair, I was able to relate to Erandi on being nervous to cut my hair and sell it. I could also picture my mom telling me I did not have to and being proud if I decided too.
This book was great! The students were able to learn some Spanish words and learn about the cultural of some villages in Mexico. It is almost Erandi's birthday and she hopes to get a new dress that she can wear to the fiesta. When going to catch fish, Mama notices that the fishnet has many holes and they will need a new one. Erandi and her Mama do not have much money, but luckily it is almost time for the the "sell your hair" event. Men come in and buy the most long and beautiful hair in the village. This year, Mama's hair is too short but Erandi decides to sell hers. Mama was extremely proud of Erandi and they agree on something to buy together.
I would use this book in a lesson on social studies about needs and wants. What did Erandi need and what did she want. It can also be the introduction to Mexico and Mexican cultures.
The writing trait for this book is voice. As a female with long hair, I was able to relate to Erandi on being nervous to cut my hair and sell it. I could also picture my mom telling me I did not have to and being proud if I decided too.
Want to read
August 19, 2014In a poor Mexican village, Erandi surprises her mother by offering to sell her long, beautiful hair in order to raise enough money to buy a new fishing net.
Erandi is excited. Tomorrow is her b'day & Mama has promised her a present. But tomorrow brings unexpected worries. Their fishing net is full of holes & beyond repair. Suddenly Mama needs money to buy a new one. Erandi knows that the hair buyers have come up from the city to buy the beautiful thick black braids of the village women. Is Mama going to sell Erandi's braids? Antonio Hernandez Madrigal draws upon a past custom of buying the hair of the Tarascan women of Mexico in this tender story of a little girl's selflessness. This is his 1st picture book. Tomie dePaola's exquisite illustrations capture the vivid colors of Patzcuarro & the lovely faces of the Tarascan people.
Erandi is excited. Tomorrow is her b'day & Mama has promised her a present. But tomorrow brings unexpected worries. Their fishing net is full of holes & beyond repair. Suddenly Mama needs money to buy a new one. Erandi knows that the hair buyers have come up from the city to buy the beautiful thick black braids of the village women. Is Mama going to sell Erandi's braids? Antonio Hernandez Madrigal draws upon a past custom of buying the hair of the Tarascan women of Mexico in this tender story of a little girl's selflessness. This is his 1st picture book. Tomie dePaola's exquisite illustrations capture the vivid colors of Patzcuarro & the lovely faces of the Tarascan people.
October 31, 2012
This story touched my heart. The main character, a little girl named Erandi would love to have a new dress for her birthday. Sadly her family does not have enough money, so Erandi makes the huge sacrifice of cutting off her braids to sell for her family. Antonio Hernandez Madrigal is of Hispanic decent, this makes me wonder if this story is based on any true experiences that he had as a child. Hispanic culture and terms are expressed throughout the story. If I were to use this in class I would focus on Erandi's sacrifice and why what she did for her family was important. I would also teach some of the Spanish vocabulary, this could be used during Hispanic Heritage month.
October 29, 2012
This story is about a little girl named Erandi who wants a dress for her birthday, however her mother does not have enough money to afford it. Her mother tries to sell her hair, but it is not long enough so Erandi decides to cut her hair off to earn some money. This story was very touching. As a teacher, this book can serve as an introduction to Spanish terms and expressions. The author, Antonio Hernandez Madrigal, and his culture reflects the culture of the characters. The illustrations are also interesting and bright enough to hold young readers attention.
September 29, 2013
Erandi loves her long beautiful braids. A barber has come to her town offering money for hair. Erandi has been admiring a dress that she wants for her birthday. She discovers her mother's fishing net has holes and needs to be replaced. When her mother sits in the barber's chair to sell her hair, he tells her that her braids are too short. Will Erandi cut off her braids to help her family? Will she get the dress? This is a beautiful story about a little girl with a difficult decision. The book also represents one of the many Latino cultures which children can learn about or relate to.
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February 4, 2016A story inspired by the sale of Tarascan (Mexico) women’s hair for use in wigs, eyelashes, and embroidery back in the 1940s and 1950s. It is Errandi’s birthday and she has her eye on a doll and a dress. But knowing her mother also needs a new fish net she chooses the dress to wear to the village fiesta. The hair buyers are also in town and Errandi’s mother takes them both to the barber shop. But the mother’s hair isn’t long enough and Errandi insists that the barber cut her hair instead. By story’s end they are able to buy a new net and the doll.
September 15, 2018
Erandi's Braids is a story about a mother and daughter who are struggling with money issues. It is Erandi's birthday and she wants a new dress but her mother needs a new net for catching fish. When they go the village, Erandi sees the perfect gifts but her mother can not afford both. Then they go to the barber shop and her mother can not sell her hair this lead to Erandi selling her braids. After selling her braid Erandi's mother can afford both the fishing net and Erandi's doll that she wanted.
May 17, 2010
This was a sweet story about sacrifice, but I didn't feel as if it had much of a plot. I knew exactly what was going to happen. I think children might find this book interesting though because it presents a different culture that they might not be familiar with. The author's footnote in the back was educational.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...
July 9, 2013
Erandi and her mother are poor. Her mother fishes and Erandi plays with a friends until it is time to sort the fish. For Erandi's birthday, her mother buys her a new dress. Their net has holes in it, so they walk to the barber shop to sell her mother's hair, but it is too short. Erandi steps up and has her own hair cut. Her mother is sad, but they are able to get a new net and the doll Erandi saw next to her dress.
March 20, 2011
Heartwarming story of a young girl and her mother who together made a hard decision. Beautiful illustrations with each page framed. A small amount of common Spanish words is interspersed in the text.
The author also provided additional information in the back of the book
This story could be easily re-set in modern day India where there is still pressure on the poor to sell their long, thick, lustrous hair.
The author also provided additional information in the back of the book
This story could be easily re-set in modern day India where there is still pressure on the poor to sell their long, thick, lustrous hair.
October 18, 2013
This book works well for children 5 years and up. It's a little too long for most of our younger pre-school groups.
In a poor Mexican village, Erandi surprises her mother by offering to sell her long, beautiful hair in order to raise enough money to buy a new fishing net.
Subjects
Hair -- Fiction.
Mothers and daughters -- Fiction
Mothers and daughters -- Fiction
Mexico -- Fiction
In a poor Mexican village, Erandi surprises her mother by offering to sell her long, beautiful hair in order to raise enough money to buy a new fishing net.
Subjects
Hair -- Fiction.
Mothers and daughters -- Fiction
Mothers and daughters -- Fiction
Mexico -- Fiction
September 16, 2012
This is a touching story about a little girl who had the courage to sell her hair to improve the financial state of her family. Long, thick hair is a source of pride for women in some parts of Mexico. Erandi was one of them, but she sacrificed her hair so that her family could purchase a much needed new fishing net. I really enjoyed this story and reading the history of hair buying and selling in the back of the book.
August 16, 2011
Tarascan women in the state of Michoacan, Mexico took a lot of pride in their long thick hair that they kept in two braids. Would they sell their hair for money? The clash between culture and poverty tells the story of a mother and daughter, their braids, and textile factories interested in their hair for wigs, eyelashes, and fine embroidery.
March 6, 2010
Picture book from The Read-Aloud Handbook. A Tarascan girl sells her braids to buy a fishing net for her mother (and a doll for herself). Poignant tale of selflessness. Features Tomie dePaolo's artistry, colors evoke Mexico.
April 28, 2010
A diverse story about the generosity of a young girl who sacrifices her hair to buy her mother a new fishing net. I have experienced a similar situation were I sacrificed my own hair to help another person.
April 12, 2011
Selling hair in Mexico back in the day was a way that women made money when times were hard. Erandi is turning 7, will she sell her hair? Take students on a picture walk before reading the story and see if they can make predictions.
April 12, 2011
This is a story about a little girl with long beautiful braids. Her family is poor and trying to find a way to buy her a birthday gift.This story would be great for getting students to consider how it would feel to not be able to afford more than basic necessities.
May 1, 2013
Brandi's Braids would be a wonderful addition to any classroom, not only because it touches on other cultures, it also talks about family and walks the children through a different economic status than they may be used to.
March 4, 2018
This is a sweet story of a mother's love for her daughter, and a daughter's love for her mother. Erandi's birthday is coming soon and she wants a new dress and a doll, but her family also needs a new fishing net. Erandi makes a choice that is best for her family.
September 6, 2017
This book tells a story about Mexican culture. The book is filled with beautiful pictures and the author introduces even small group of Spanish words to readers. The story teaches that money shouldn’t be taken for granted. In addition, it speaks for commonweal and helping others.
May 4, 2009
I expected this to be more O.Henry-esque, but I liked it anyhow.
March 13, 2016
This was another book that was fantastic in my economics unit. I've never found a book that was so terrific for illustrating the differences between wants and needs. Perfect!
July 19, 2010
Young Erandi wants a new dress to wear to the fiesta but finds out her mother needs a new fish net. Will mother or Erandi sell their hair to the barber to buy a gift for the other?
May 31, 2016
Erandi's Braids
Madrigal, Antonio Hernandez
a multicultural story for children
Madrigal, Antonio Hernandez
a multicultural story for children
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews