The Girl Who Wouldn't Brush Her Hair

August 1, 2013
When an imaginative, stubborn little girl refuses to brush her hair, strange consequences ensue. The unnamed girl has beautiful, long wavy hair and prefers it tangled and wild. To her parents, she repeatedly states, "It's just my way." Soon, one mouse, then a second, and then more and more take up residence in the mess that is her hair. They tell her jokes, she shares her lunch with them, and they turn her hair into a mouse palace. All of these activities are shared by her doll, Baby, her constant companion. While she mostly enjoys the situation, she finally begins to understand that things have gotten out of control. The mice have convinced her to stop bathing because they can't swim, resulting in offensive odors and loss of friends at school. Bernheimer employs a chatty narration that directly engages her audience. The tale is structured on a base of "what ifs...," building upon absurdities that include parents who are barely there and amazingly tolerant while maintaining a sense of reality that allows young readers to believe, just a little, that it could happen. And of course, there's a satisfying and reassuring conclusion. Parker's digitally colored pencil illustrations complement the spirit of fun and fantasy, depicting a seemingly normal setting with the addition of some delightfully goofy details. Imaginative fun for all. (Picture book. 4-8)

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September 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2-A nameless heroine refuses to brush her bear-brown hair after her nightly bath. When the grown-ups, who hover at the edges of the story, object, she says, "It's just my way." A mouse nests in her tangled curls, but she is unafraid. Rather, she welcomes scores of other mice, enjoying the company of her companions who tell knock-knock jokes and are kind to her favorite doll, Baby. Soon, the girl discovers some drawbacks to her unusual situation. She must share her food with the mice, they refuse to go in the bath, and they keep her awake all night. The hungry, dirty, and exhausted little girl does not know what to do until her teacher tells her that she can't bring Baby to school because she already has too many naptime friends with her. The child gently explains to the mice that it is time for them to go. That night, she washes and brushes her locks and finally gets a good night's sleep. On the playground, a couple of mice scout for a new home in the pigtails of another little girl. It is "just their way." The digitally colored illustrations focus on the girl, showing her in her comfortable home or her cheerful schoolroom. Her luminous face expressively portrays her emotional journey throughout the fanciful fable. For a more straightforward treatment that also addresses the resulting struggle between mother and daughter, try Lee Fox's delightful Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair (Walker, 2010).-Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2013
Preschool-G A girl who won't brush her hair finds herself with a mischief of mice upon her head. At first she delights in their company. They tell jokes and are nice to her baby doll, Baby. But the burden becomes heavy. The mice talk all night, leaving her sleep-deprived; they are ravenous, so the girl shares her lunch and goes hungry; they don't like water, so the girl doesn't bathe, which means she . . . smells. Worse, the teacher tells her she can't have both the mice and Baby as her companions for naptime. But, as the girl explains to the mice, she really, really needs Baby. Glossy illustrations capture the growing, astonishing mess-of-a-hair-nest. The series of consequences spools out nicely even if the resolution feels a tad pat: the mice leave, and the girl takes a bath and, unprompted, brushes her hair. A less hair-raising adventure than Gaiman's Crazy Hair (2009), but this tale will send kids the message that they must take care of their tresses.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2014
A hairbrush-spurning girl discovers that mice have taken up residence in her tresses. This cautionary tale is soft-edged: it's her teacher's "only one friend for naptime" policy that finally convinces the girl to have a "calm talk" with her tiny tenants, whom she has good-naturedly tolerated. Parker cleverly shows the mice using the hair for a volleyball court, as a cinema, etc.

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