An exuberant new picture book brings us a young protagonist confident enough to insist on the short fade haircut she desires.
In My Fade Is Fresh, by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Kitt Thomas (Penguin Workshop), a young girl walks into her neighborhood barbershop, wanting a cut for her “bushy, brownish, biggish hair.” She knows what she wants: “The freshest fade up on the block!”
Her mother, the hairdresser, and even the other patrons suggest lots of other styles for her, however: parts, perms, frizzy fros, dye jobs, locs, and even cornrows! We see these styles imagined or demonstrated on other clients over several pages, giving readers an empowering glimpse at the many shapes and forms Black hair can take.
The girl is resolute, however. Finally, she gets the look she wants—a short, cropped fade—and later walks past the barbershop wearing a skirt and showing off her new fade as her self-confidence and happiness shine.
The rhymes, rhythms, and alliteration are spot-on (and make this great for read-alouds), testament to Grant’s experience as an award-winning poet. NAACP Image Award Winner Thomas’ dynamic illustrations showcase both the many hairstyles mentioned and the many people in this vibrant community. All of the characters are Black, with different shades of skin, and there is a gallery of Black hairstyles at the ends.
Several other reviews I’ve seen of this book do not gender the protagonist. The book does have another character use the pronoun “her” for her once in the text and Grant’s own website names her a girl. I therefore choose to see her as a gender expansive or gender creative girl (at least as far as her haircut is concerned), although others might choose to read the character as a nonbinary or trans child beginning to express themselves. It’s all good.
Children who see themselves reflected in the the protagonist’s identities will particularly appreciate this story, but its message of confidence and determination will likely appeal even further.