And it left me with a grin that reached up into my own hairline. Ultimately, Crown celebrates identity, confidence, healthy masculinity, and the precious cultural value of tradition. This vibrancy is matched by James’s exquisite illustrations, which are a riot of life and movement. The sting of witch hazel becomes “an electric stamp of approval” a man with his own fresh cut “looks like he owns a few acres of land on Saturn”. It explores the rich sense of community that comes from frequenting the local barber shop, building a picture of the boy as one not alone against the world but part of a world peopled by good men, and it imbues him with the courage to be a good man himself - to hold his head high.Ĭrown takes a fierce delight in words. The lyrical style is reminiscent of spoken-word poetry as the text rejoices in the rite-of-passage that is a trip to the barber. In a voice that conjures up images of a large-hearted dad talking to his son, the narrator speaks to a young black boy - to all African-American boys - on the power of a great haircut. James, and is one of the disproportionately few picture books to have made it to the Newbery Honor roll. Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut is written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. Our 2019 Newbery adventure began with a bang, a joyful explosion of colour and lyrics. It’s amazing what a tight fade, high/low/bald
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