Bella's Bad Hair Day

Nicely set up with endpapers that show the calm before the storm, we are quickly introduced to a wailing, demanding Bella. Oh, dear! Mind you, we are a tiny bit understanding because poor Bella suffers from horrible hair, and her artistic parents are too busy painting and piano-playing to deal with the problem. ‘Didn’t anyone realise it was going to be a horrible, horrific, horrendous hair day?’ Apparently not.

Bella seeks help, but Sam the hairdresser’s solution of cutting it off is rejected, as is that of the carpenter’s bear who offers to flatten it. In an outrageous series of events we finally see Bella rush home with an ostrich, warming her egg atop Bella’s hair. Mum does her work at last and swishes and twirls Bella’s hair into a ‘breathtakingly beautiful bouffant.’ So calm is restored at last. Phew!

For all girls (and boys) who’ve ever suffered a ‘bad hair day’ King’s book of squirly Dr Seuss-like drawings and outlandish story will both delight and offer hope.