Article archive / December 2021
Originally published: . Volume 12, No. 12. Source pages: 12.
Miranda's Green Hair by D.H. Whyatt
Marva Lewis, PhD Associate Professor, Tulane University Violence Prevention Institute
Miranda’s Green Hair (2021) written by New Orleans writer and parent, D. H. Whyatt, tells the story of a young girl of color who does not want to get her hair combed.
Just as young children have strong emotions toward going to bed, or interrupting outdoor play, the hair combing routine may also become a battle ground between a caregiver and a determined two-year old. This hardback children’s book, illustrated by Corey Wolfe and Carlos Valenti with vibrant colorful scenes filled with greenery, birds, flowers, and houses easily recognized by a young reader. The story describes the initial refusal of Miranda to let her mother comb and style her hair in preparation for a visit to her grandmother. Miranda displays a strong personality, challenging her the need to have her combed because, ‘Grandma loves my green hair this way.’ Ignoring her mother, she continues to enjoy her outdoor play. The story then follows her adventures as she stubbornly refuses to respond to her mother’s requests and runs away from home to the forest. There she encounters events and experiences that elicit a range of emotions. She receives help from a ‘community’ of friendly animals in the forest who help her to understand that her specific type of curly hair requires special care. With the help of her new friends in the forest she finds her way back to her home and her mother. The story ends with Miranda tucked safely in her bed drifting off to sleep as she says, ‘If you’re the owner of frizzy green hair, please tell you mom to handle with care’. This sixty-page, hardcover children’s book provides therapists, educators and parents with a developmentally appropriate tool, familiar images, symbols, and rhyming language to reinforce young children ability to express their emotions.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.