The Best Hairstyle for First Visit to Salon in Adorable Picture Book for Young African American Girls

Going to the hair salon for the first time is a sign that one is now a big girl. There is a lot to think about as you finally have the chance to choose your own hairstyle. Janelle Harper's adorable picture book that centers around a little African-American girl and her first trip to the hair salon is a fun read for young Black girls who will relate to the character. Salon Saturday is a delightful picture book for young Black girls who are ready to visit the salon for the first time.

The big day has come and the little girl is ready for her first visit to the hair salon. There are so many styles to choose from and she wonders how she will ever be able to choose the right style for her. Grandma has advice to choose a style that is easy to take care of. Sissy has advice to think about her personality and what feels right. There are buns, coils, and 'fros'. There are braids and curls. A wash begins the process. All those bubbles are great. She goes under the dryer. Sitting in the chair and tells the stylist to begin. The stylist is finished and she sees her new style in the big mirror. She decides that the style is her own kind of being beautiful.

Charlot Kristensen contributed her talents as an illustrator for Salon Saturday. The African-American characters are relatable and picture books that young Black children can relate to are an important part of inclusivity in picture books that are now available.

Salon Saturday is recommended for ages 4-8. It was published by Viking, a division of Penguin/Random House. It has an ISBN of 978-0-593-52633-0.

Teachers who teach in early education classrooms will want to add this adorable picture book to their classroom library. Enhance the reading experience with a dramatic play center with all of the things needed for a hair salon.

*Read Salon Saturday in a story time session. Call attention to the fact that the big day has come for the little girl's first visit to a hair salon. Engage children in a discussion of their visit to a hair salon. How many have been to the salon for the first time?

*Provide a variety of magazines that feature hair styles. Your local salon is a good place to ask for magazines to be donated for your dramatic play area salon.

*Collect empty bottles of shampoo and other items needed for a salon. Collect combs and brushes, towels, and hair dryers. Parents can donate items.

*Prepare an activity for children to cut pictures of their favorite styles from the donated magazines and construct a collage of the pictures. Display the collages in the classroom to enhance the reading experience when you read Salon Saturday.

*Ensure that the boys in your classroom are included in the activities centered around a hair style.

Janelle Harper is a native of the Bronx in New York and finds her inspiration for writing in the diversity of her community and she especially likes to create stories for the children in her community. Harper is a veteran public school teacher who comes from a family of teachers. Her first picture book My Black Looks Like: received star reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. It was also named a Junior Library Guild Selection.

Charlot Kristensen is a talented illustrator and author. She specializes in diverse representation in her characters. She especially enjoys creating relatable characters for Black children. She was one of nineteen Black illustrators to contribute to the award-winning picture book Hey You that was published in 2022.