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Vendor
Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
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MY FADE IS FRESH

Shauntay Grant Kitt Thomas

A little girl learns the importance of speaking up for what she wants while at the barbershop and ends up rocking the fabulous hair style she chooses in this fun and empowering picture book.
When a little girl walks into her local barbershop, she knows she wants the flyest, freshest fade on the block! But there are so many beautiful hairstyles to choose from, and the clients and her mother suggest them all: parts, perms, frizzy fros, dye jobs, locs, and even cornrows!

But this little girl stays true to herself and makes sure she leaves the shop feeling on top with the look she picks!

Author Shauntay Grant's sweet, rhyming story encourages young girls to be self-confident and celebrates the many shapes and forms Black hair can take. Through their stunning illustrations, Kitt Thomas is able to bring life and movement to the versatile styles featured in this book.

Shauntay Grant is a poet, playwright, author, and multimedia artist. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. A former poet laureate for the City of Halifax, her honors include a Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, a Joseph S. Stauffer Prize, and a Poet Of Honour prize from the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Learn more about her at shauntaygrant.com

Kitt Thomas is a first-generation Lucian American author-illustrator and graduate of the Ringling College of Art and Design with a BFA in visual studies. Kitt's mission is to celebrate Black culture with their drawings and to encourage inclusion in all forms of art, as they found it hard to see themself properly represented in the media they enjoyed growing up. Kitt has worked with such companies as Netflix, Hasbro, and Cartoon Network. They live in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Book

Published 2022-11-01 by Penguin Workshop

Comments

This adorable rhyming picture book celebrates everything there is to love about Black hair. Read more...

In rhythmic text and hilarious art.Vivid use of color and expressive faces show the eagerness of the onlookers, the exasperation and woe of the key players (some of the spreads are explosive)... The neighborhood shop-around-the corner mood is perfect; the triumph of getting just what you want is served up with precision. Children will love poring over the pictures, while adults will feel their blood pressure rising... A winner-takes-all glimpse of one of childhood's major milestones, taking agency over fashion choices, personality, and style.

This sweet ode to both Black hair and individual choice is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Author/storyteller Shauntay Grant's sweet, rhyming picture book story encourages young girls to be self-confident and celebrates the many shapes and forms Black hair can take. Through her stunning illustrations, the artist Kitt Thomas is able to bring life and movement to the versatile styles featured in the pages of "My Fade Is Fresh.

The rhyming text is great fun to read, with perfect rhythm and style... [A] humorous romp and a glorious celebration of Black beauty... Thomas' illustrations attend to every detail and exude energy, community, and warmth. The gentle message of a girl choosing her own look despite others' attachment to her long hair is neither lost nor overdone. Thomas' illustrations attend to every detail and exude energy, community, and warmth as they cycle through interesting characters and the narrator's many different looks en route to her chosen fade. This fun, powerful, and empowering tale belongs on every shelf.

This beautifully illustrated rhyming picture book celebrates individual identity and staying true to yourself.

YABC shared an author Q&A with Shauntay on 11/4 Read more...

Learn the importance of speaking up for what you want through this fun and empowering picture book... Author Shauntay Grant's sweet, rhyming story encourages young girls to be self-confident and celebrates the many shapes and forms Black hair can take. Through their stunning illustrations, Kitt Thomas is able to bring life and movement to the versatile styles featured in this book. Read more...

In hilarious, boisterous barbershop style.Thomas' illustrations are as fresh as the girl's new look, pulling in vibrant colors and a graffiti-mural style... [T]his book is perfect for kids learning about self-expression, confidence, and decision-making, and the energetic illustrations and humorous story line provide a great reading experience for any child, whether they are familiar with barbershops or not.

This girl's confidence is contagious and will help young readers feel ready for their next visit to the barbershop or hair salon. Read more...

In playful, rhyming lines that give voice to a community's fond, well-meaning chorus, Grant pays tribute to the beautiful versatility of Black hair while emphasizing the importance of a kid staying true to themself. Giving special attention to texture and curl pattern, saturated art by Thomas changes perspective across each spread... It's an affirming, communal take on a routine barbershop visit, starring a cool, collected child who knows their mind.

Betsy Bird from SLJ's FUSE 8 and the EVANSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY posted a Tik Tok on 9/30 featuring MY FADE IS FRESH. The Tik Tok now has over 30K views and over 8.2K likes! Read more...

In this adorable, rhythmic read-aloud, a young Black girl goes to the barbershop for a haircut. She wants something fresh and fun, but her mother and other clients keep suggesting hairstyles that just aren't what she's looking for. When she finally makes her voice heard and communicates her personal style, she gets the freshest fade on the block and feels on top of the world. From Grant's sing-song rhymes to Thomas's colorful and adorable illustrations, this is such a fun read centering self-expression and Black joy. Read more...