My Fade Is Fresh

by Shauntay Grant, Kitt Thomas (Illustrator)

A little girl makes sure she walks out of the barbershop rocking the fabulous hair style she chooses.

Learn the importance of speaking up for what you want through this fun and empowering picture book.

When a little girl walks into her local barbershop, she knows she wants the flyest, freshest fade on the block! But there are so many beautiful hairstyles to choose from, and the clients and her mother suggest them all: parts, perms, frizzy fros, dye jobs, locs, and even cornrows!

But this little girl stays true to herself and makes sure she leaves the shop feeling on top with the look she picks!

Author Shauntay Grant's sweet, rhyming story encourages young girls to be self-confident and celebrates the many shapes and forms Black hair can take. Through their stunning illustrations, Kitt Thomas is able to bring life and movement to the versatile styles featured in this book.

Genres: Picture Books, African American, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, LGBT, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a little girl walks into her neighborhood barbershop, she knows she wants the flyest, freshest fade on the block! But once she sits in the barber’s chair, everyone else’s suggestions are all she can hear. There are so many styles to choose from, and her mom and the barber suggest them all: sleek perms and frizzy ‘fros, luscious locs and chunky cornrows! Even though these would all look beautiful, this confident girl stays true to herself and makes sure she leaves the shop with the style she loves!

We love this book!! My daughter originally thought the main character was a boy so when we started reading, she couldn’t understand why this little girl wanted a “boy” haircut. Imagine her surprise when I showed her an old photo of myself rocking a close cut!😂 She’s 4, but this led to a mini conversation about hair length and gender, affirming her that girls can have short hair too. Just like boys can have long hair, if that’s how it grows & if that’s what they choose.

While she’s made it clear that she doesn’t want a fade, I love that this book lets her know that she can choose her own style (which she does most of the time anyway!) I love that she can see a little Black girl stand firm in her choice and walk away confident and confirmed in her decision. But her mom is the real MVP for giving her the space and permission to be herself. This sweet, rhyming story encourages young girls to be self-confident and celebrates the many shapes and forms Black hair can take. The stunning illustrations bring life and movement to the versatile styles featured in this book. Highly recommend!!

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful, busy, happy book about a girl's eventful trip to the barbershop and her insistence on the haircut she--and not anyone else--wants. She leaves with the perfect fade haircut!

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wonderful art, but I just wasn't interested in everyone talking about style choices for a little girl's haircut. Also, I was a bit put off by the story's inconsistent meter and very slant rhymes.

(I've never given much thought to my own hair, having grown up getting it cut "just like dad's" and not having it cut at all for the last three decades once I decided to let it grow out to its natural length.)

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Black girl goes to the barbershop to get a fresh fade, but once her haircut starts, everyone's suggestions overwhelm her until she finds her voice. A celebration of Black hairstyles and standing up for what you want while ignoring others who deter you. Everyone's enthusiasm comes out in the rhyming lines. The illustrations really showcase all the possible hairstyles and experience of the barbershop. Blurbed by Derrick Barnes, the author of Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut. This would be good for a storytime about community people or being true to yourself.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A little girl walks into a barber shop and asks for a fade. Everyone inside has other suggestions for her - braids, locs, waves, a fro - but all she wants is a fade! As a girl who hates being too hot, and hates the way hair feels on her neck and shoulders, I can totally relate to this story! NO, I don't want a longer girl's cut! No, I don't want to cut it off in stages! No, I don't want it longer on top!
JUST GIVE ME WHAT I WANT AND LEAVE ME ALONE!
And they finally did, and she loved it. :)

[Miss Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A little girl walks into a barber shop and asks for a fade. Everyone inside has other suggestions for her - braids, locs, waves, a fro - but all she wants is a fade! As a girl who hates being too hot, and hates the way hair feels on her neck and shoulders, I can totally relate to this story! NO, I don't want a longer girl's cut! No, I don't want to cut it off in stages! No, I don't want it longer on top!
JUST GIVE ME WHAT I WANT AND LEAVE ME ALONE!
And they finally did, and she loved it. :)

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are bright and colorful, but the text is hard to read. It's all over the pages, and it's usually unclear who is speaking. It's also frustrating that the adults won't listen to the girl about what she wants, and that everyone keeps giving her unsolicited advice and telling her to make up her mind when she already said what she wanted when she went in.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This confident young Black girl knows exactly what she wants when she visits the barbershop—she wants the cleanest fade possible. Despite everyone around her suggesting different hairstyles and questioning her choice, she remains firm in her decision to get a fade. The theme of this book centers on self-confidence and the importance of trusting your own voice. It illustrates that when you truly like something and are set on it, you shouldn’t let others sway your opinion. You should be confident in your choices.

This book is appropriate for students from pre-K to 2nd grade and serves as a great tool for promoting self-expression and encouraging kids to trust their own voices. It’s important for young students to understand that their opinions matter and that they shouldn’t feel pressured to do something they don’t like.

[Jennifer Meriedth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. As a licensed cosmetologist and someone studying to be a teacher I love to see these stories that encourage readers to stand up for themselves and be whoever they want to be, no matter what other people have to say! Beautifully illustrated,too! In my future classroom I plan to use this book to help show my students that I welcome everyone into my room and that they are free to be whoever they want to be.

[Tafadzwa Maposa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

[Haley English · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the main character in this story and the way she was confident in making her own choice about her hair. I get that the author likely wanted to incorporate other hairstyles into the story as a means of educating the reader, but I didn't love that so many of the characters in the story think they get a say. It was also kind of hard to differentiate who was speaking on some pages. I'm glad she got her fade anyway. This book can be a good mirror for black students, or students who like things that are "for boys"

[Elizabeth C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book in verse has been nominated for a Blue Spruce Award, is on the 2025 Skipping Stones Honor List, and has been featured in Teaching Books. It follows the story of a girl going to the barbershop with her mother to get a hair cut. While she is in the stylist's chair, anyone and everyone in the shop makes suggestions about what style the little girl should get. All the while the little girl continues to ask for a fade. In the end she finally succeeds in getting the cut she wants and leaves happy with her choice.

The story has colorful and lively illustrations depicting the variety of customers in the shop and the hairstyles suggested in the book. The illustrator also depicts the girl's neighborhood and the emotional responses of the girl, her mother, and her stylist with great detail. I really enjoyed seeing the mother's dismay at all the choices being lobbed at her daughter and the stylist's brow beaded with sweat as she tried to do what everyone suggested. The rhyming made the book fun to read and kept an engaging rhythm to the story. However, on some pages I did find it a little hard to know which text to read first because lines of verse were dispersed across the page to show the different people speaking. In general, I don't think it would matter which lines were read first, but because this was a rhyming story the order did matter to keep the rhyming couplets together. It didn't take away too much from the story, but it did slow me down a little and I wish the text and illustrations were equally easy to follow. Additionally - and this is more about our culture and society than about the author or illustrator - I find it annoying that when a girl goes into a barber shop and asks for a "boy haircut" everyone and their neighbor's uncle wants to weigh in on what hair style she SHOULD have. Is that an LGBTQ+ theme? Maybe. But if children - and people in general - were "allowed" to make choices about their own appearances and bodies without pressure from others we'd all be a lot happier. Anyway... rant over. I also want to repeat what another reviewer said, that the mother doesn't interfere with her child's hair choice, and that's great to see. I wish maybe that the mother had supported her child's decision a little more strongly, but in the end we see the young girl standing up for herself and I love to see that.

This book could be taught to children ages pre-k to second or third grade, when gender rules and expectations tend to be very important. Discussions can be about students having a voice in what they want for themselves and in accepting and celebrating others. This book is also a celebration of different Black hairstyles, which could be highlighted as a special element of Black culture and tradition.

[Great Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young, African American girl goes to her neighborhood barbershop to get a "fresh" haircut. She gets overwhelmed with all the options for her hair including braiding, dyeing, shaving, etc. She courageously decides upon a unique style for a young girl. This story celebrates the African American community as well as individuality.

Reviewer 15

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

I loved the bright, happy illustrations in this book. But as some other reviewers have said, the text placement made it a little hard to read and you weren't always sure who was talking. I like that the girl stood up for herself and got what she wanted!
I know I'm not the target audience, but I also found it a little bit hard to follow all the hairstyles that are mentioned.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful, dynamic illustrations emphasize a girl’s excitement about going to the neighborhood barbershop for a cut and style; however, her own choice is drowned out by the chorus of voices who express their own opinions about the “freshest” cut for her, which makes the story very confusing as to who is speaking.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the idea of this book, especially because it would pair really well with Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James, but the story was incredibly hard to follow because the text is all over the place and it's hard to figure out who is actually speaking.

[timber rose, book witch (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

this children's book tells the story of a little girl who goes to the barber's shop to get a fade. other patrons and workers discuss a variety of cuts, colors, and styles with her and her barber. despite the variety of opinions and ideas, she leaves happy with her fade.

this book has one of my favorite art styles EVER. it truly enhanced the emotions of this book and made it an absolute joy to look at. i think it is a great, very basic visual intro into different ways to cut and style Black hair. the rhyming text added another layer of whimsy and joy to the story.

my one gripe is that i feel like the hair stylist did more of the advocating for doing the cut than the little girl did. it seemed like she was mostly quietly listening to everyone's ideas and occasionally restating that she wanted a fade (which, obviously, IS a way of standing up for yourself). personally, i would have preferred a more clear moment where she states very clearly that she is sticking to the cut she wants since the book is advertised as teaching readers to trust and speak up for themselves. the big moment i expected from the little girl came from her barber instead. however, there is still power in a very understated and consistent type of certainty that the girl displayed.

overall, it was a beautiful and encouraging read.

[Grace Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a little girl who goes to the barbershop to get a haircut. Upon walking in, she tells her stylist what she wants: a fade. At first, everyone ignores her, and her mom starts talking about what style she should get. When the little girl's hair is all styled, she tells her stylist she doesn't like it. Then everyone in the shop begins piping in on this conversation and shares their ideas. With the stylist getting overwhelmed with all the ideas, the little girl is becoming sad. Eventually, the little girl speaks her mind saying all she wants is a fade. At the end of the book, the little girl gets her fade and walks by her barbershop smiling.

I would use this book in my classroom to explain to my students that hairstyles don't have a gender. There were a lot of pushbacks in this book because a fade isn't a typical "girl" hairstyle. Everyone should wear their hair the way they want, and I will teach that to my students.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dynamic and chaotic in the main, the conclusion is satisfyingly tidy. The illustrations are bold and bright and match the dynamism of the text.

A young girl goes to the barbershop with a request. But everyone else has "helpful" suggestions for her style. But she never loses sight of what she wants and ultimately walks out of there with her own look.

A good example for anyone who struggles to communicate with a hair stylist.

My biggest complaint was that I could not tell where the dialogue was coming from. Despite the use of multiple typefaces for emphasis and style, the girl's voice does not have a distinctive font, nor does the grownup who brings her in. Add their voices to the cacophony of stylists and other salon patrons, and it becomes hard to distinguish the girl from all the hubbub around her. Of course, maybe that's the point.

[Brigid Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a celebration of black hair and hairstyles. A little girl and her mom go to the barbershop, and "once she sits in the barber's chair, everyone else's suggestions are are all she can hear." Can she assert herself and get the haircut she wants?

Conceptually, I loved this book. But the placement of the text, and the frequent back and forth between the characters makes this book challenging to be a read aloud, as it is intended to be for its age group.

I do like how the little girl gets what is often considered a "non-traditional" haircut (for a girl).

However, the story is slice of life and getting your haircut is an adventure every child will identify with. The illustrations are vibrant and energetic; they bring a lot of life to the narrative.

No lexile listed (example new words: perm, trim, tousled, tangly, groomed, cropped, taper)

[Mia Martinez]

I loved this book! It was so fun, inclusive and creative. One of my favorites yet! Very vibrant, colorful and textured looking pictures. It definitely catches your attention and keeps it throughout the read. I love the story line that Shauntay Grant created about the barber shop and all of the different hairstyles that anyone can get. For example cornrow braids, hightop fades or even a silk press. This book also allows for children with textured hair patterns to be comfortable in choosing their own hairstyle they want and to also be comfortable in it as well. This book would be great in a classroom I believe for students to read and enjoy. It can also allow for students to make connections with their own hairstyles and creativity within them selves as well. I believe this book can defiantly spark creativity and exploration.

[mathilda · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Don't stress' I said. 'Just Line me up.'

The words above have been heard in just about every barbershop, salon, or beautician. A calling card from every customer.In “My Fade is Fresh” by Shauntay Grant, Grant demonstrates this beautifully, as you read the book you are taken on this journey of finding your voice, frustration, and self-confidence. A young girl walks into her local barbershop. The place is filled to the brim with different hair textures, products, styles, people of all ages, and other personalities. But our protagonist comes in exactly knowing what she wants. “The freshest fade up on the block!”

The bright and colorful illustrations done by Kitt Thomas, show and highlight the different curl patterns a person can have and different ways to style hair too. The frantic word placement and designs, go on to build the book's themes like nature as beauty, the importance of communication, and self go on to be emulated in the diverse, bright, and expressive artwork of the characters, each one is different, while working harmoniously to build the diversity of personality, thought, and speakers. The book details how outer beauty and how we present ourselves, like hair, clothes, colors, and more can not only reflect our self-identity and preferences but also how personal autonomy can be overtaken in the simplest of ways such as someone else choosing the hairstyle or cut that you want when you don’t want it.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 sentences per page, or some phrases. The illustrations are GORGEOUS! I love the facial expressions, and the hair, and the colors used. A cute story about a Black girl who goes to a barber shop for a fade. Everyone in the shop has opinions about her hair and what styles to do, so we get exposed to different styles and ways of shaping Black hair, but in the end, the little girl makes sure her voice is heard and that she gets her haircut the way she wants. I appreciate the representation of Black women in this - the girl and her mother go the the barber together, and the person cutting her hair is also a woman. Best for ages 3-7, but I think it works well with an older audience and sadly not my current storytime kids' age range.

[Tia Ramahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations in the book! There was so much going on, and there was an abundance of colors. I appreciated how the little girl stayed true to what she wanted to do. It's so easy to let outside opinion influence what goes on in your life, but she stood her ground and did what she wanted to do to her hair. I want my kids to be able to stick up for what they want in life. I think this book teaches the importance of sticking up for yourself and drowning out other people's opinions. At the end of the day, it's your life, and you should do what you truly want to do. I want them to be a motto within our classroom.

[Emma]

A great picture book in which a Black child enters the barbershop wanting “THE FRESHEST FADE UP ON THE BLOCK!” While many stylists and customers suggest various hairstyles, locs, cornrows, Afros, the child stays true to what they want. They ultimately get their chosen look. It celebrates identity, choice, and Black hair culture. Use this to open discussions around self-expression, agency, culture, and identity. After the read-aloud, students could talk or write about a time they wanted something different than others suggested and how they came to/made a choice. It can tie into a unit on identity, community culture, or even a mini-project of “my style” or “hair stories.”

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl goes to the barber shop for a new hair cut. When asked what she wants the girl replies "the freshest fade up on the block". Everyone in the barber shop has a different opinion of what that means, offering their suggestion of different hairstyles. At the end the girl stands up for herself and tells the barber exactly what she wants, which is her own unique style. The illustrations are bright and bold, the text is a little small. It would make a great read loud for lower elementary children.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A child and her mother go into the beauty parlor to get her big mop of hair done. Lots of advice describing the many styles possible and illustrations of them. Lots of action in the mostly blue, red, and purple color illustrations. This little girl wants to go from huge hair to a fade which is small hair.
My three stars is due to the rhyme. The whole book is done in rhyme and it starts out beautifully. Then there are rhymes that are distracting and words that seem to be included just for the sake of the rhyme.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exciting and insightful account of a young person who enters the hair shop with a fabulous 'fro but has one things only on their mind- A fresh fade! Despite multiple suggestions of alternative styles, midway-shaping and trims, but holds fast to the goal: A FRESH FADE!
The illustrations and rhymed text are equally crisp and clever and appealing, but the personality of the young central character won the day for me. There is no doubt that when someone knows what they want they need to make their wishes known and celebrate the results. I did!

[Margaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

These illustrations were giving me Yesenia Moises. Probably a hair connection thing, but there were a lot of opinions about what this cutie should do with their hair, and none of them were listening to what the child wanted! So... a plot similarity as well. I definitely loved seeing all the various types of hairstyles and descriptions and the exasperation coming from the kids involved.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl and her mom go to the local barbershop for a new 'do for the girl. She knows exactly what she wants- a fade! However, literally everyone else in the shop has an opinion of what she SHOULD want. When she finally gets a chance to speak up, everyone else has an opinion AGAIN! Told in rhyme, this story is important in teaching kids bodily autonomy and when to speak up. The digital illustrations are cute and cartoonish. The fantasies the child imagines as everyone offers their opinion are really funny.