Curls

by Ruth Forman, Geneva Bowers (Illustrations)

A joyfully poetic board book that delivers an ode to African American girls and the beauty of their curls.

Me
Morning

Mirror Smile

Shine big
hair love

This simple, playful, and beautiful board book stars four friends who celebrate the joy of their hairstyles from bouncing curls to swinging braids.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, African American, Poetry, Fiction, Storytime, Kids

26 pages, ebook

Published December 22, 2020

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations! The hairstyles were excellent. I liked how happy the characters looked on every page. This board book was cute and a quick read. I loved the colors and I liked to point them out to my daughter so she can learn colors too. The friendship between the girls looked happy and carefree.


Curls followed "four friends who celebrate the joy of their hairstyles from bouncing curls to swinging braids." The story started with a girl on her bed, waking up in the morning with a smile on her face. She went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror, still smiling. She's feeling happy and loving her hair. She went out to meet her friends, four girls with four different hairstyles.


I enjoyed reading the author's note. The author was shocked when her pk3 daughter came home from school saying she didn't like her curly hair and wished that she had straight hair and light skin. Due to the limited number of children's books for people of color, the author committed herself to write one. Curls was intended for young readers, "celebrating identity and self-love for children of color and for all children to enjoy." I highly recommend this book for everyone!

xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

[Roxanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this to my daughter before bedtime. The illustrations are mesmerizing but the words were lacking and weren’t even in complete sentences. Nevertheless, I love the empowering message of confidence in one’s curls.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

"shine big
hair love"

A joyous celebration of the delights of hair, shared in big beautiful pictures and little poems.

[Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book, with an equally beautiful message.

CURLS by @ruthformanpoet and illustrated by genevabowers, is a book that young black girls can see themselves reflected in, as it celebrates all the wonderful ways their hair can be done.

Not only is this written in an engaging way to hold toddlers attentions, the pictures compliment this story perfectly. I absolutely love this book, and recommend picking up this board book.

[Che · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastically adorable illustrations

[LeighAnn Matthews ( EDCU 378) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text -to Teaching Connection

I chose this book to read because a co worker used it as for her bulletin board display. As a teacher to all grade levels, I believe it is important for all my students to know how wonderful they are, for just being themselves. With choosing this book my goal is to use this as part of an activity. By having the students watch a read aloud or myself reading the story. After reading the story, discuss the main character, who is getting ready for the day. The main character ends her day by getting her hair braided.
The illustrations show how all the girl and her friends are different from one another. One activity would be to have the students draw how they get ready for their day and draw a picture. Another activity would be to make a craft with paper plates and have the students use materials to make their own self portraits. This would be a good lesson to use to explain diversity and self love.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorrrrrgeous art. Very sparse text, but the art is so vibrant! Love the freedom and movement that these beautiful girls seem to have.

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, and I like the message, but the story just wasn't that intriguing to me.

[Kaprisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it really cute story and pictures kids well love it

[April Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for a good book about curls I bought this for my 3 year old this Christmas, unsure if she would like it. (She is Middle Eastern on my side and Italian on her Dad’s side) That morning we read it 5 times in a row. It filled my heart up watching her find herself in the pages. She can now read the book to me, and every morning when we get her hair ready for the day she understands how wonderful her curls are and why they take extra time and care.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

My little one loved this book. She just smiled and laughed the whole time we read it.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple text but the illustrations just glow--An absolutely lovely book to start out with.

[Ada · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations and message of the book are lovely. I just wish the words were better. There are maximum 4 words per page and they don’t always make much sense. For example, the first page says “Me morning”.

[mireyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this in line at the tj-maxxs check out, super pretty pictures but the grammar was lacking… i would like to see this but with full sentences next time. (more of a two and half tbh)

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Curls, written by Ruth Forman and illustrated by Geneva Bowers, a celebration of black hair.

Using minimal, free-form text, this “love song” begins with a little girl greeting the day by removing her hair scarf and rejoicing as her mane of curls tumbles free (“shine big, hair love”). Two of her friends, respectively sporting puffs (“up soft, black brown”) and an afro (thick curl, sun crown”), arrive as her mother treats her hair and begins to braid it into cornrows. As a fourth friend in beaded box braids arrives, the girls are shown playing, dancing, and rejoicing in the beauty of their natural hair.

Simple, sweet, and absolutely lovely. Combining Forman’s engaging and impactful text with Bowers’s radiantly joyful illustrations, this title manages an explosion of pride in an economy of words. This makes it a perfect title for all ages of bookworm, from the very young to middle grade (and perhaps even older). The artwork does a nice job of setting up not only different natural and protective styles, but also a variety of skin tones and ages as representative of beauty (note, no boys or young men are to be found in this title, but feature in the author-illustrator duo’s latest title, Glow). JJ loved the artwork, and while we may not be this title’s primary audience, this is a lovely book that shows little ones of all backgrounds that we are all made beautiful just as we are. A sweet gem, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved.

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Elizabeth]

Ruth Forman's One was one of Betsy Bird's Great Board Books of 2023, and when I requested a copy from the library, I also requested copies of her other board books.

Despite the title, this also includes beaded Black hair as well as curly Black hair. I guess the point is that they all have curly Black hair to start, and it's about loving your curls and the different things you can do with them.

The text is sort of fragments of poetry (as I would learn is common to Forman's board books, but which I don't love).

I reread it to my partner and was able to figure out the narrative -- we start with a blue-shirted girl waking up in the morning and starting her day and then pivot to other girls coming over to her house to play while her mom continues to do her hair on the front porch, and eventually her mom finishes her hair and she and the other girls play together.

One GR review says:

I enjoyed reading the author's note. The author was shocked when her pk3 daughter came home from school saying she didn't like her curly hair and wished that she had straight hair and light skin. Due to the limited number of children's books for people of color, the author committed herself to write one. Curls was intended for young readers, "celebrating identity and self-love for children of color and for all children to enjoy."

My board book edition definitely didn't have an Author's Note, and having read all of her extant board books, I wonder if I would appreciate some of them more if they had an Author's Note.

I think this narrative is hard to follow, but it does depict Black girls with various hairstyles and skin tones, full of joy, engaged with family and playing with each other, which absolutely has value (though I wish the text were better executed).

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Energy and positivity radiate from every page in this delightful little book, which shows how amazing curls can be.

This is one for young girls, especially those who are blessed with a head full of lovely curls, but even those without will easily fall into the excitement which beams on every page. It starts out simple enough, a young girl waking up refreshed and to sunshine—and that sets the high-spirited mood. From there, she teams up with her friends, bouncing with energy and happiness as they hit the world together with self-confidence and glee.

The book itself is one for the youngest end of the reading spectrum as its a board book and created for a little more tussle and tumble. The text is kept very simple and gives a poetic atmosphere by using only a few words to bring across the feelings and expressions. The illustrations carry the rest, which is exactly what this age group needs. Friendship, family, and the simple joy life holds comes across with clarity...even when a single word hasn't been read.

The message in this one is very clear, and it's an uplifting and confident one. The girl's have curls, and each one sports it in their own, personal way. They love their hair, who they are, and that is wonderful message indeed.

I received a complimentary copy and smiled at every page.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

CURLS is a celebration of girlhood, Black hair, and friendship. The book is mostly told through illustrations with a simple poem running throughout the book of a few words on each page spread. The book begins with a girl waking up and vibrantly joining the day with a smile - and her hair. Each of four friends have their hair styled beautifully in different ways before playing together on the playground.

What I loved: The celebration of Black hair is not often seen in books, and this does a fantastic job. The text is simple, poetic, and lovely. The book reads quickly, making it great for infants through preschoolers. The vibrant, colorful, and detailed illustrations help to tell the story beautifully with characters young children can enjoy as they tell their own story. The board book format is great for young readers, and the detailed images with minimal text make the pages turn at the reader's pace.

Final verdict: CURLS is a beautiful and vibrant board book with gorgeous illustrations and poetic text. Recommend for infants and toddlers.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Speckadust · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curls is a warm, tight embrace, an ultimate expression of unconditional love for Black girls and the beautiful diversity of Black hair, manifested through a thoughtful curation of beautiful poetic words and vibrant, inviting illustrations. As a devoted fan of Ruth Forman's beautiful writing (and a new fan of Geneva Bowers' art), I am ALWAY in awe of her sacred devotion to beauty, love, and justice. Curls challenges anti-Black girlhood and conceptions of beauty, particularly through the prose and aesthetic of hair. Forman's Curls humanizes and centers Black girlhood and Black hair in the midst of a world plagued with anti-Blackness, attempting to rob Black children of their childhood and humanity. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to EVERYONE (adult, youth, and child)!!! And if you haven't yet read her book celebrating Black girl magic and beauty, please don't forget to check out Curls! 🖤🖤🖤

[Ava Emshwiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This adorable little picture book follows a girl with beautiful curls. The unnamed child spreads love and knowledge about what it is like to be a young woman of color, with wildly beautiful curls. There are even other unnamed young girls in this book who also have that special type of curly hair.

This book was able to hold many themes on social issues that are encountered in realistic fiction. Those of which include growing up / self-discovery and social diversity. With the main character being a little kid it is wonderful for her to have such a love and understanding that yes her hair is different, but it is beautiful. Being able to bring in other characters with similar hair, but look different is so important for children. They deserve to be seen and included. As a reader, it was lovely to see how inclusive the illustrations and text were. Many have heard the saying "representation matters" and this is a perfect example of why it matters.

[Jocelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very colorfully illustrated book. I enjoy seeing books exploring hair in children’s literature. I think that it is so important to explore the vast styles, lengths and textures of hair. This is especially important to the very curious little ones who explore their world through the sense of touch. With that being said, I had such high hopes for this book. The structure and wording in this book felt disjointed and unfocused. It was trying to be poetic but, it felt like a kindergarten vocabulary writing exercise. Even with this little books flaws, it is still a good story time book.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was going to purchase this for a black girl, age 5, and was immediately captivated by the illustrations. They are outstanding, showing motion and joy and celebrating color and black hair. However, I was disappointed by the text. It wasn't even whole sentences. Just the few words that are italicized in the description of the book (see description above), floating unconnected. Was the author inexperienced? Nope, she's a published poet. Why didn't she actually write poetry? I hope she continues to write and next time shares her real talent.

[Alysa Fenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is geared toward a young audience of pre-readers. It introduces new words to early learners. While there aren’t any full sentences, it is written in more of a free verse poetic style. It is an inclusive books about different ways hair can be worn—in braids, with beads, up high, or down and big. This is a good for people who aren’t reading yet, but I can see where the free verse poetic style could also be confusing to readers with the lack of complete sentences or even complete thoughts.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a big old love letter to black girl hair, and hopefully a boost of self-confidence to young ladies who need it. There's a rhyming pattern to the book, though words are kept to a minimum. Geneva Bowers' illustrations are sweet and lovely, and really bring the book to life.

[Jasmine Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text-to-Self Connection

This book describes me and my niece so much. She has so much hair and she doesn't know what to do with it half the time. Her mom always has me braiding it down. I especially loved when she put "smooth grease" because Lord knows we need our edges to be laid just for our hair to look right. Although this book doesn't have a lot of words, the pictures are everything. Curly hair in general can be a struggle on any race or gender.

[Hanna Simiele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book and I was extremely disappointed. The illustrations were so cute and beautiful but the storyline was non existent. By the cover, I felt like there was so much potential for this book but it was lacking, especially the words. I kind of finding myself losing the thought or sentence and the words didn't feel complete thoughts. I was really sad that there wasn't a story to go along with the beautiful illustrations.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
A sweet book with little text but a powerful message about a black girl's love of her hair. I feel like if she'd have left it big and curly it would have been more impactful, but doing the beaded braids added some movement. The illustrations showed several different ways young black girl's wear their hair and it was a beautiful and accurate depiction. The text is not in complete sentences or in rhyming couplets, but the illustrations with the text make a beautiful, powerful statement

[Aeicha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Forman’s board book, Curls, is a charming and sunshiney celebration of African American girls and their beautiful hair. Forman’s sparse, yet infectiously joyful rhymes and illustrator Geneva Bowers’ happy, colorful illustrations come together to offer readers an utterly adorable and heartfelt jubilation.

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love love love the illustrations in this book!
I wasn’t a huge fan of the cavemen text. I was immediately thrown by the first page “me morning.”
It got better throughout and ending reading more like a poem so it grew on me. I get that it’s a board book so the author was trying to make the book simple phrases but I just think it could have been done a little better.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the illustrations, but I don’t think the book should be entitled “Curls”, maybe hair because it had different hair types. So pictures were relatable, because I have curly hair and I tend to wake up looking like the first girl through out the book. Other pictures didn’t relate to the title.