Tag Archives: Barefoot Books

Perfect Picture Book Friday: IF MY HAIR HAD A VOICE Plus Giveaway

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They say the grass is always greener. When I was growing up, I hated my hair. It was curly and frizzy…especially on humid days…and since I lived in New York City, that was almost every day! What I wanted was long straight hair, that flipped up at the end like Mary Tyler Moore in the Dick Van Dyke show. And I spent many hours with my hair in huge rollers, trying to achieve that. Fortunately, I eventually learned to embrace my hair – because it’s part of who I am. But whenever I hear about a book that focuses on hair, I always want to share it! And this book just launched May 28th!!

IF MY HAIR HAD A VOICE

Written by Dana Marie Miroballi

IIlustrated by Patricia Grannum

Publisher: Beaming Books (May 28, 2024)

Ages: 3-8

Themes: Self Esteem, African History, Hair

Synopsis: From Amazon:

“If your hair had a voice, it would sing of diversity and identity. It would tell you stories of our history.”
An ode to loving your hair and your culture, If My Hair Had a Voice follows a young Black girl as she grows from being disappointed in her natural hair to developing an amazed appreciation for the long history of Black hair. From blossoming floral motifs in celebration of spring to intricate braided codes for spreading revolutionary messages, she discovers that Black hair goes beyond simple adornment–it tells the story of a rich cultural history filled with diversity, resistance, artistry, and, of course, beauty. Backmatter explores the history of each hairstyle featured in the book.

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love books that are so relatable to ALL children – because no matter who you are or where you come from or how you look, you probably had a time in your life that you weren’t happy with something about yourself – and the child agency in this book is inspiring.
2. Well-written text and great pacing keep the child-reader engaged.
3. Glorious illustrations put us right in each setting.

ME: And guess what? It’s always a treat when one of a book’s creators stops by – and author Dana is here to share her inspiration for the story.

DANA: Inspiration: The story started as a poem I wrote in 2020 while reading about Madam C. J. Walker. In the early 1900s, she developed hair products for afro-textured hair and devised a grooming system that included straightening hair with a metal hot comb. I started reflecting on my experience of growing up straightening my hair and then embracing my natural hair in my late 20s.

Here’s a little bit about Dana and how to connect with her and find out more about her books:
 Dana Marie Miroballi is a teacher-turned speech-language pathologist writing books for young readers. She grew up in Germany, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan, and now lives in Chicago with her husband and children. Dana is the author of If My Hair Had a Voice (Beaming Books) and Inventions to Count On (Abrams Appleseed, 2025).

Social Media
FB & Twitter: shesthebear   Instagram: noshesthebear

Purchase link: https://www.beamingbooks.com/store/product/9781506493602/If-My-Hair-Had-a-Voice

RELATED ACTIVITIES
Make a Haircut Buddy

Books like Dana’s can help kids learn to love themselves more! And doing one or more of these things can help books like Dana’s reach the kids who need to love themselves more. What can you do?
Buy the book
Review the book
Place the book on your Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Tell friends about the book (please share on your social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win the giveaway!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Cover Reveal: OUR WORLD: CHINA

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I’ve always loved board books. As a kindergarten teacher and then later as a parent, I learned to appreciate those sturdy laminated cardboard pages that could hold up to the rough handling of our youngest lovers of stories. And recently, publishers are waking up to the realization that introducing wee ones to people of various cultures and abilities early on is one way to help children embrace differences and practice kindness, That’s why when Songju Ma Daemicke, one of the members my Picture Book Gold group, told me she had a board book launching from Barefoot Books later this year, I was excited to host her COVER REVEAL for OUR WORLD CHINA.
GET READY! GET SET! GO!

Written by Songju Ma Daemicke – Illustrated by Jam Dong – Launching from Barefoot Books 10/3/23

Illustrator Jam Dong has done an amazing job with the cover! The colors are bold and vibrant and the art is so kid-friendly! With a few simple objects and designs, we are invited into a home in China! How fabulous!

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:
Nǐ hǎo! Let’s spend a day in China! Fly kites in the square, buy sweet lychee at the market and go paddle boating at the lake. Author Songju Ma Daemicke and illustrator Jam Dong draw on their personal experiences growing up in China to create this appealing board book as part of the Our World Series for very young readers.

And here’s a little bit about the author:
SONGJU MA DAEMICKE, a former software engineer with Motorola, grew up in Jilin, China. Her latest book, Tu Youyou’s Discovery – Finding a Cure for Malaria, is a 2023 SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books finalist. Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant was a Best STEM book, the winner of 2018 CALA Best Juvenile Literature, an Outstanding Science Trade book, a Notable-Social-Studies book, and a Mathical Honor Book. Songju loves taking her family to visit her siblings in China, practicing Tai Chi, flying kites, and eating all kinds of delicious dumplings.
Website: www.songjumadaemicke.com
Twitter: @SongjuDaemicke
Instagram: @SongjuDaemicke
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/songju.daemicke

And here’s a little bit about the illustrator:
Jam Dong is an illustrator and picture book author, who has been recognized by many influential awards around the world. Her works have been selected by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2020, 2021 and 2022. She was born and raised in Shanghai, China, and is currently based in Boston, USA.

The book won’t be in bookstores till October 3rd…but it’s definitely available for PRE-ORDER on:
Amazon
Bookshop.org
Or by calling your local independent bookstore and ordering it.
You can also ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.
Please add Our World: China to your Goodreads Want-To-Read list:  https://bit.ly/3zGH2Wn
Signed copies available at Barnes & Noble through mail order:  http://bit.ly/3ZUz06S

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Please stop by on Perfect Picture Book Friday to get a peek at our featured book, ENOUGH IS by Jessica Whipple. And on Saturday when Lori Degman and Jocelyn Watkinson Will Write for Cookies.