Hairs/Pelitos

by Sandra Cisneros

This jewel-like vignette from Sandra Cisneros's best-selling The House on Mango Street shows, through simple, intimate portraits, the diversity among us.

A Dragonfly Book in English and Spanish.

A Parenting Magazine Best Children's Book of the Year

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Un excelente constructor de vocabulario, con nombres de objetos en Inglés y en Español, acompañados por ilustraciones, agrupados por tópicos como colores, juguetes, animales y herramientas.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cultural, Spanish Literature, Latinx, Family, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Sandra Cisneros is internationally acclaimed for her poetry and fiction and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Lannan Literary Award and the American Book Award, and of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the MacArthur Foundation.

Cisneros is the author of two novels The House on Mango Street and Caramelo; a collection of short stories, Woman Hollering Creek; two books of poetry, My Wicked Ways and Loose Woman; and a children's book, Hairs/Pelitos.

She is the founder of the Macondo Foundation, an association of writers united to serve underserved communities (www.macondofoundation.org), and is Writer in Residence at Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story that is written in spanish and english. This would be good to use with ESOL students who speak Spanish as thier first language to integrate thier native language into the classroom.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in both English and Spanish to a bilingual group. It's a sweet story.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lexile: 190
Genre: Picture book, multicultural
Unique feature: written in both Spanish and English
Age level: Primary

Main characters: Carlos, Nenny, papa, Kiki

This primary book is written using a vignette from the House on Mango street. It has been used to create a book for primary-aged students using colorful illustrations depicting the diversity of groups of people. Cisneros describes the various people in her family: papa, herself, Carlos, Nenny, Kiki, and her mother. She compares the textures and shapes of their hair to both emotional states and household objects such as brooms and small roses. The emotional states she uses, such as "lazy", are important because those emotional states are used to describe the actual personalities of the characters, not just their hair.

Personal reaction: I appreciate that a vignette from a book for middle schoolers was used to create a book for younger youth, and the illustrations help because they depict each character with their colorful differences.

Recommend/Main ideas? Yes. This book can be used to discuss themes of diversity, and our unique features as individuals. I think it's important, as well, because it demonstrates how we can use physical features of people to describe both their physical appearance, but also their personality characteristics through strategic word choice.

Satisfying concluding statement: This is a great bilingual book that can be used to emphasize individual differences

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hairs/Pelitos is meant to be a children's book, which might strike you odd that I am reviewing it but I did read it in one of my college courses. I think this is an amazing novel for children because it is about all types of different people. And all types of different people have all types of different hair. It teaches children that it is okay to be different, in fact its expected. Children will never find someone exactly like them and this book helps them realize that. Sometimes children find it hard to be different from their friends but this book and Sandra Cisneros explain how it can be a good thing, a welcomed thing. In Cisneros's other poem books (for adults) she talks about how she is different and calls out all the negativity that she has encountered. It almost seems like she is telling children now so they don't have to experience it at an older age and maybe be more hurt by it.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Everybody in our family has different hair." This is how the book starts, and the narrator proceeds to describe how each family member's hair is unique in texture and style. The text drives home the point that diversity exists, even among family members, and that these differences make life more colorful. This would be a good book to teach diversity to students throughout elementary school. The book also provides a Spanish translation, which makes it accessible to Spanish readers. These students may be experiencing what it is like to be different, and Hairs/Pelitos demonstrate how diversity should be embraced.

[Libby]

As a multicultural book, Hairs = Pelitos contains charming illustrations and has an interesting story about the unique physical characteristics of people. Because this story is a bilingual story focusing on Latino culture, a bilingual caregiver can share this story either with a native Spanish speaker or a non-Spanish speaker to increase the child’s vocabulary. The child’s vocabulary can be deepened with a story such as this, as well as the narrative skill building. Suitable for a 4-5 year old child, this book provides the caregiver with an opportunity to converse with the child about the story’s content, helping the child to make meaning of context.

[Sarai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked this book out at the library to read it to my nieces. We all liked, it's short and sweet, and I loved the illustration.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young girl describes all the differences and types of hair her family members have. A close up look at the diversity within one family, and the closeness and comfort it brings.

[Melba Deoleo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hairs or Pelitos is a book written by Sandra Cisneros and it is written in both English and Spanish. The book is narrated by a little girl who describes just how different the hair types are in her family. The book uses descriptive language when it talks about her family members hair type, "Papas hair is like a broom" or " the smell when she makes room for you on her side of the bed still warm with her skin". This type of language makes it easy to get a visual of what she is describing in the story, although the book has great illustrations and that helps the story as well. A way that I would use this book in my classroom would be to incorporate a new language and teach my students new words. The book would be a good way to introduce new vocabulary such as object names, colors and toys in Spanish. The book would also be a good way to show my students how big of difference it makes when you write something using as much detail as possible, you simply draw your audience in.

[Amy B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cisneros, S. (1984) Hairs~pelitos. First Dragonfly Books.

This delightful text describes hair of Latino people and makes comparisons to objects, foods and texture. The story can be read in English or Spanish allows children of both languages to enjoy and interpret. It shows the diversity among people in the same families and celebrates those differences. I enjoyed the minimal text and the illustrations that spoke the words. I would share this story all the children in my class to discuss how hair is so different from person to person no matter your race, ethnicity or family.

[Hayle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually greatly dislike this book. I understand that it is suppose to be an engaging multicultural read, but the story is horrible. There is no flow to the text in English and the Spanish is way beyond anything a teacher or parent could read out loud to a child. I have four years of education in Spanish and I don't know half the words in the story. It would have been better to stick to present tense simple verbs and sentence structure so children could maybe learn something from the Spanish. This book just failed to accomplish what it set out to do.

[Maria Rizo-campos]

I like the book because it is about the differences founded in the family member’s hair. The authors describes carefully how each member in the family is different but at the same time how these differences make them a lovely, beautiful, and diverse family. The book is in both language (Spanish& English), it is easy to read, and the beautiful descriptive language used in the story. It is a good book for parents too.

[Shauna]

This is a good children's book that is actually written in both English and Spanish. This book can be used to discuss diversity, and the differences in each person. Even if people are from the same family-they don't look alike, so we can't expect everyone else in the world to look like us.
For older students, you can see if they understand that we can use physical features of people to describe both their physical appearance, and their personality characteristics through the words we use.

[Bethany · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read for 5427 class

Dually told in English and Spanish, the narrator explains the different types and styles of hair the members of her family have. The best hair is her mother's, which smells like freshly baked bread and home. This picture book is an excerpt from The House on Mango Street. In all, I thought this book was unnecessary and not noteworthy the way Nappy Hair is. It makes very little sense and has no action or plot or even pathos.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to read this to my kiddies next week! Sandra Cisneros is simply the best! The illustrator, Terry Ybanez, did an amazing job as well. The kids in my class are making self portraits with various materials and they love recreating their hair, so this book is a perfect fit for my theme of the week.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my son entered kindergarten he wanted to know why he couldn't have a mohawk like one of his classmates and why his hair was black and mine was brown. Hair and shades of skin became interesting to him. This book provided the perfect way to talk about superficial differences in a comforting way.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I think it is especially great for diverse families or really any family that wants to teach that we are all unique with our own unique features. It is also fun that you can read the book in spanish or english.

[Christopher Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A children's book whose words are taken from part of "House on Mango Street." The book is specifically about all types of hair in her family. A super cute book and an example of how sometimes canonical literature can be made into a children's picture book.

[Say · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful vignette from The House on Mango Street. I recommend to all of my fellow teachers if you are preparing students for a self portrait or a personal narrative.

[Jessica Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loves this book. :)

[Katie Scherrer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful story about family. While I personally really enjoy this book, I have found it to be a little too poetic for storytime. However, it is a great book to display and recommend to parents.

[Cristina López · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love sandra cisneros, and i love childre's books!
i read this at the bookstore while waiting for a workshop to start!
:D

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

THis is a lot like Todd Parr's "Its Ok to be Different." Amazing illustrations, funny, bilingual, great message.

[Michelle Stimpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excerpt from my favorite book of all time. Beautiful illustrations. Bilingual. What's not to love?

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great stories from the House on Mango Street, with excellent illustrations.

[Rena · Rating 3 out of 5]

www.kawzmikworld.wordpress.com

[Aura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this picture book about a family and their hair. It speaks to our differences and uniqueness that makes us beautiful.

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

We related to this story. My grandma smells like pan and maiz. My daughters relate it to myself and my mother in law Zuma. who is always cooking and baking. and always smells like fresh tortillas

[Pat]

This is a section taken from House on Mango Street and illustrated. It is good for read-alouds and prompting writing.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with multiple messages--excellent for engaging discussion of topics related to diversity and representation of characters.