The Great Birthday Surprise!

by Tanya Wright, Ashley Evans (illustrator)

Hip, hip, hooray! It's Hairiette's Birthday!

With her glowy hair done and the perfect dress picked out, Hairiette is ready for her special seventh birthday present. But on the big day, there is no bike in sight! All she gets is a stinking barrette and comb. It looks like it isn't going to be a hip hip hooray day after all…until a class unit on imagination changes everything!

i + magi + nation = My Magic Nation!

Using the power of her imagination, Hairiette turns her boring birthday gifts into charmed objects that whisk her off to an enchanted place called Magic Nation where she can have hip hip hooray days every day! All she needs is a little creativity and the magic words, "Razzle, Dazzle, Diddly, Do!" and soon the adventures begin! 

128 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

Tanya Wright is a two-time SAG Award winning actress who has appeared on countless television shows. Tanya got the idea for Hairiette while walking her dog, Macarena (who appears in every book of the Hairiette series!). Tanya writes everything from plays and screenplays to—you guessed it—puppet musicals! Born in the Bronx and raised in Harlem, Tanya enjoys white cheddar popcorn and yoga, dark chocolate and long walks. 

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hairiette's hair is all glowy and sparkly, but when she gets hair adornments for her 7th birthday instead of the bike that she REALLY wants disappointment almost rules the day until she learns about imagination. Fun chapter book with needed lessons.
Aunt Zelda!
The illustrations by Ashley Evans are fun, brilliantly colorful, and tell the story, too..
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library! Pub Date Sep 02, 2025 I requested and received an uncorrected digital galley from SOURCEBOOKS Kids | Sourcebooks Young Readers via NetGalley. ***** #review #goodreads #storygraph #NetGalley @librarythingofficial #TheGreatBirthdaySurprise by Tanya Wright @tanyaishair and illustrated by Ashley Evans @ash_from_queens #HairietteofHarlemBk1 @sourcebookskids #kidlit #picturebooks #childrensbookillustration @childrensbookcouncil #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk @indigo #kidsbooks #imagination #creativity #family #hairsalon #birthdaypresent #friendship #sparkles #disappointment #chapterbook

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this illustrated beginner chapter book. I enjoyed the whimsical young protagonist Hairiette who is full of dreams and imagination. She wants a bike for her 7th birthday and tries to stay upbeat when her wish doesn’t seem to be coming true. We follow her throughout her day at home and at school. I love the colorful artwork that feels magical including her amazing galaxy of hair. This book does a great job of handling disappointment. It takes quite a wild turn when Hairiette’s imagination takes over and her new comb and bow take on speaking roles and she journeys to a Candyland in the sky. I felt the prose left a bit to be desired but young girls will likely enjoy being swept away in these sparkling pages.

[Morgan Gayles · Rating 4 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC

I Magic Nation…oh to be a child again with a vast imagination. She was witty and knew exactly what she wanted for her birthday. However, her family had other plans. Having a realization that maybe other children didn’t get gifts at all, she was thankful for her family and friends to showered her with love. Assuming there is a part 2, I am interested to see what other adventures she will have with Barbara and Charlie.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute enough story about a girl who is about to turn 7 and she really wants a bike. Instead, her parents get her a comb and a barrette and she's so bummed, until she realizes she can use her imagination to take herself to "My Magic Nation" where the items talk. My complaint about this book is that the imagination stuff didn't come until about 2/3 in, so I think the rest of this series will be great, but this one was just too much set up.

[Alison Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just LOVE Hairiette! Honestly, I haven't read a children's book this enchanting in a long time. My friend's child discovered this book series and now she's telling all her friends about it. I decided to read it (I just love children's books--they take me away...).

I was excited to learn this is a book series!

[Diane Rembert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hairiette’s birthday didn’t exactly turn out the way she wanted it to. The gifts that she received were not only hair related, but boring (according to her). She used her creative imagination and turned those gifts into a magical adventure.

I think this is a perfect book for little girls, who are also dreamers. It proves that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

[Dana The Book Voyager · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loved this book. She is 7 years old and read it at least 10 times. This book made her fall in love with reading. She is not a complete book worm and I give the credit to this book. I wish I could personally thank the offer for the gift she gave my girl. We can't wait to read more!

[Alex Spann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and read for my daughter!