Kelly Tinkham

Arealistic look at a strong family facing cancer. “Hair has always been important to us Carters,” says Marcus, and each family member has a specific hairstyle for annual picture day. Mama usually “loops and gathers her braids together like a beautiful black crown.” But this year, things are different: Mama has cancer, and treatment has taken her hair away. Marcus offers her costume wigs in a store, but she declines. Conflating the hair loss (and Mama’s plan to skip picture day) with the unbearable possibility of Mama dying, Marcus takes action. At the barber shop, he gets all his hair shaved, planning to take it home for Mama to use. When the barber inadvertently discards it, Marcus breaks down sobbing, but his rock-steady parents are there. Mama agrees to pictures while wearing a gele (headwrap), and her future—while not certain—looks hopeful. Regrettably, the specific hairstyles—Marcus’s fade and his sister’s braids and beads, for example—are visually indistinct. However, Bates’s tender watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are warm in color and feeling, matching the depth of emotions perfectly. (Picture book. 4-7)

-Kirkus Review… (meer)

In my opinion this is an amazing book that deals with the struggles children face when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. I loved the development of Marcus throughout the story. Marcus is a boy with a huge heart who will do anything to make his mother smile again after she loses her hair. For example, he goes down a halloween aisle at a store and brings her wigs to try on. We even see him cutting off all his hair in hopes of giving it to his mother. Finally we see Marcus accept and realize although his mother has no hair and is sick she still loves him and will always be with him. Readers are able to empathize for Marcus and place themselves in his shoes. Even though the book addresses a tough issue it shows real life battles that cancer patients may face and broadens reader’s perspectives. For example, Marcus’ mother is show to be tired and weak throughout the novel, mentioning the symptoms of chemotherapy. The big message in this story raises awareness of cancer and allows readers to know that their loved ones still care about them even though they may be sick.… (meer)