Representation
of Hair in
Children's
Books Guide
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a research library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School
of Education, found that only 10% of books the library received in 2018 featured significant African or
African American content/characters, only 5% featured Latinx characters and only 1% featured
indigenous characters. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop noted that books offer a window into the lived
experiences of those who may come from different backgrounds, but also a mirror for students of varied
backgrounds to be able to see themselves reflected and affirmed in the content. Without students feeling
a sense of community and seeing their experiences in the curriculum, students become further isolated
from the classroom and academic content. Carefully selecting children’s books can play a significant and
powerful role in helping shape young children’s perspectives about themselves and about others.
Through read-alouds, role play, discussion, and other activities, children begin to build empathy and also
a sense of confidence in their ability to understand and honor others’ experiences. Interacting with
children’s books helps students with different learning styles comprehend and celebrate all dimensions
of human difference, such as engaging with pictures as visual learners, listening as auditory learners,
acting out the characters as kinesthetic learners, or talking through their thoughts as verbal learners.
Children’s books introduce elements of diversity into the classroom, especially the effects of stereotypes
and bias to equip students with the tools to be able to recognize their own identities, others’ identities,
and how they can be leaders for social justice.
This resource document includes guiding questions for selecting
children's books on hair, tips for talking to students about hair, hair
definitions, and suggestions for book lists. We hope this document will
continue to grow over time and be a helpful and effective tool for
educators and families.
Guiding Questions
Tips for talking to children about hair
Do they accurately represent different styles, textures, and colors of hair?
Are they stereotypical?
What hair textures and styles are missing or invisible? How are you able to supplement those
conversations when reading books with children?
Even if the book doesn’t directly talk about hair, do the illustrations show examples of natural hair
that can help children see themselves and their hair represented in the book?
Whose perspective is most prominent?
Is there a villain? If so, who or what is it, and why are they/why is it “bad?”
Is there a hero? How do we know this person is the hero?
Does the story feel real/true to life? Are important elements or considerations included?
Do characters speak to each other? If so, are the interactions positive?
Does the plot affirm some and disparage others?
Are terms like nappy used in a way that’s positive and affirming?
If the book uses a term, such as pelo malo, does it describe the context of that term, as well as
push back against a negative term?
Does the book appropriate a hairstyle that has historical grounding in another culture or
community without recognizing or discussing the history?
Does the text refer to hair in comparison to animals or other dehumanizing metaphors?Is the
language celebratory and affirming of hair?
Does the text refer to an aspect of community or history?
When selecting children’s books on hair, does your collection incorporate or include different
ethnicities? For example, are Afro-Latinx communities, indigenous communities, or communities
that cover their hair represented in the text?
Are there discussions about the different hair textures? It is important to highlight the diversity of
textures and styles (i.e. there are different types of natural hair, such as 3a or 4c) and note that
one person can have more than one texture.
Check the illustrations
Analyze the story line
Examine the language
Consider how it affects children’s self and social identity
Make sure to stay away from language about all hair being the same. This takes away from the rich
diversity of many types of hair. Highlight the beauty and uniqueness of different types of hair.
Do share facts about the similarities of hair, such as hair comes in different colors and textures, hair
has a root and shaft, and hair is something that can be styled in many ways to look different.
Don’t use language that fetishizes hair or describes hair as being “exotic.”
Ask young children questions about what they love about their own hair and affirm the positive
qualities of their hair.
Answer questions with honesty and genuineness. By preschool, children notice differences among
others such as skin color, hair texture, and eye color. Young children may hide questions and may
believe that talking about difference is wrong if you shy away from answering.
*adapted from Louise Derman-Sparks’ Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books
Hair Definitions
Protective style - A hairstyle that puts the ends of hair away from being exposed to natural elements,
such as sun and heat, and also constant manipulation through styling. Different protective styles
include, but are not limited to twists, braids, wigs, cornrows, and locs.
Braids - There are many types of braids, including, but not limited to micro braids, two strand, and box
braids. Braids can be individual and free flowing down. They can also be braided close to the scalp.
Waves - A close-to-the-scalp style that protects and arranges short, wavy-to-coily hair in a spiral wave
pattern.
Locs - A hairstyle in which the hair is coiled onto itself and remains that way, thus “locking” and
creating rope-like strands. When creating locs, people don’t uncoil their hair. Locs can be made by
braiding and twisting the hair into a specific style. They can be styled in many ways including updos,
braids, and twists.
Freeforms/Free-formed locs - A style that is created by allowing locs to form on their own, with little
or no direction or styling. Because some people have naturally coily hair, locs will form organically over
time if their hair is not deliberately untangled.Dreads - Often used interchangeably with “locs,” this
term can carry a connotation that separates the style of locked hair from its cultural significance across
the African diaspora.
Hair texture - Texture refers to how thick each individual strand of hair is. Today’s products describe
textures on a scale of “fine” to “coarse.”
Curl type or pattern - The curl type is determined by the shape of the follicle of the hair. Most
people with curlier hair have more than one type of pattern. There are sub-categories from A to C,
which is based on the width of the curl, where A has the widest pattern and C is the smallest
pattern.Hair type - Type 1 is straight, Type 2 is wavy, Type 3 is curly, and Type 4 is coily.
Hairstyle - A hairstyle refers to a particular way that hair is cut, colored, or arranged to achieve a
desired look.
Relaxer - A relaxer is a chemical processing treatment that straightens and takes away the curls in
hair.
Perm - A perm is a chemical processing treatment that adds curls to straight hair. “Perm” is often
incorrectly used interchangeably with “relaxer.”
Detangle - The process of separating curls and coils from one another to prevent them from locking
or becoming unkempt. The process involves combs, brushes, water, fingers, oils, and hair products.
Edges - The hairs along a person’s front-facing hairline.
Baby Hair - Short, fine, straight-to-wavy hairs along a person’s hairline. African Americans created the
trend of styling these hairs into appealing swirls using small brushes.
Book Lists/Resources
