Wanda and the Wild Hair

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

For all the little girls who insist on long hair, yet complain
vociferously when it’s time for brushing, Wanda and the Wild Hair is
the perfect choice. Wanda’s hair is really wild. Despite her
mother’s entreaties, her father comparing it to a sheepdog, and her
teacher making her write “I must comb my hair” 50 times on the
blackboard, Wanda refuses to have it cut. Then one morning as Mother
leans over to kiss Wanda goodbye, her earring becomes tangled in
Wanda’s hair, setting off a chain of events that convinces even Wanda
that her hair has got to go.

Young readers will sympathize with Wanda’s worry about the earring as
she gets paint in her hair, drops the ball during games, and fiddles
with her hair and earring so often that her teacher loses patience and
yells at her. Then they’ll chuckle with delight at the image of Wanda
getting attacked by a magpie, then a cat, and finally a sheepdog. And
they will know exactly how Wanda feels after her hair is cut as she
consoles herself with the thought, “Don’t worry. It will soon grow
again.”

Artist Georgia Graham’s lively and vibrantly coloured illustrations
add tremendously to our enjoyment of this slapstick adventure. Her
exuberant drawings not only help to tell the story but extend the text
as well, for who could have guessed that Wanda’s hair would be red?

We are told on the flyleaf that Wanda and the Wild Hair is Barbara
Azore’s first picture book. We sincerely hope that it’s not her last
and look forward to more collaborations by this dynamic duo. Highly
recommended.