Kechi’s Hair Goes Every Which Way

Kechi’s mum is away and dad is in charge. There are three simple steps to follow to get Kechi ready for school: uniform, breakfast and hair. With dad in charge Kechi enjoys a pile of pancakes for breakfast instead of a bowl of porridge and chooses her favourite princess outfit instead of her school uniform. But what about Kechi’s hair? Kechi has lots and lots of wonderful, thick, bouncy curls. Mum is brilliant at creating different hairstyles: twists, puffs and ballerina buns. Although Dad is willing and tries very hard he can’t manage any of these and time is passing. In the end he gives up and lets Kechi choose. Her choice is to leave her hair exactly the way it is, ‘going this way, going that way, going every which way.’

This is a lovely story celebrating the closeness of a father daughter relationship and encouraging young black girls to be proud of the beauty of their natural hair. It is third in a series on this theme from author Tola Okkogwu. The pattern and repetition in the storytelling make this a great book to read aloud and Naomi Wright’s delightful illustrations add to the warmth.