4 Natural Hair Books to Add to Your Collection
The busy months are winding down and summer is quickly approaching. It’s time to start gathering your summer reading collection! Let the TXTURE Team help you get started by adding 4 Natural Hair books everyone should have in their collection!
First on the list is ‘Cool Cuts’ by Mechal Renee Roe and is dedicated to our little brown boys and their crowns! So often when we think of kids and the natural hair community we cater to young girls. ‘Cool Cuts’ is a fun and easy read containing numerous styles illustrated to highlight our boys’ natural hair. Delivering a positive message and helping to promote positive self-esteem in our young black boys, ‘Cool Cuts’ lets them know ‘You are born to be awesome!’. You may be familiar with the name Mechal Renee Roe. This is because she was also the illustrator of our very own Madame Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2019 children’s book ‘Superheroes are Everywhere’. Although originally published back in 1981, ‘Cool Cuts’ can still be found almost everywhere books are sold for roughly less than $15. I was able to find a copy of my own on Amazon!
Second on the list, and an overall great kid friendly read that can be enjoyed by both boys and girls is ‘Hair like Mine’ by LaTashia M. Perry. ‘Hair like Mine’ is more than just a book as it also contains pictures, coloring pages and fun activities that promote self love and self esteem for our young readers. ‘Hair like Mine’ follows the journey of a young girl who sets out on a quest to find someone else with hair like hers! On this journey, she learns how empowering it is to be unique. An important lesson to pour into all of our young readers at an early age. ‘Hair like Mine’ is just one story in LaTashia M. Perry’s ‘Like Mine’ series. From 2015-2018 she also created ‘Skin like Mine’, ‘Imagination like Mine’, and ‘Dreams like Mine’. If you would like to add ‘Hair like Mine’ to your young readers collection you’ll be happy to know you can grab a copy for less than $20! Currently Target.com has it for $18.99!
Now that we’ve got our young readers taken care of, let’s add two more books to our collection that cater to our adult naturals!
If you’re looking for all around encouragement on this natural hair journey you will certainly want to check out ‘Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair!’ by Nikki Walton. If the name rings a bell you may know her most notably as the creator of curlynikki.com, an online platform dedicated to the black and natural hair community. ‘Better than Good Hair’ is a book that aims to educate black women on how to safely transition from relaxed to natural hair. Filled with styling tips with step-by-step directions, product recommendations, and even advice for parents of mixed race children who struggle to learn how to manage their hair! ‘Better than Good Hair’ is a worthwhile read from someone who is well known in our community for always wanting to leave us better than she found us. Not only will you get advice, tips and trips from Nikki but ‘Better than Good Hair’ also leans in on tips from other experts in the natural hair industry. You can call this your one stop read to get you started on your journey and for $20 or less this isn’t an expensive stop! I was able to find ‘Better than Good Hair’ for as low as $5 on thriftbooks.com.
The last book on our list for natural hair books to add to your collection is no child’s play! Geared towards the more advanced and science based read, ‘The Science of Transitioning: A Complete Guide to Hair Care for Transitioners and New Naturals’ by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy is a must grab for those ready to dive into their transition. An extensive read through the journey of transitioning, ‘The Science of Transitioning’ discusses the harmful effects of chemical relaxers, talks hair health while transitioning, offers product recommendations, and suggests techniques and regimens for transitioning styles. What I found most appealing about ‘The Science of Transitioning’ is how it touches on the mental health challenges we tend to experience while transitioning as well as provides a how-to for dealing with those around you that aren’t supportive of your journey. That’s right, learn how to respond when your grandma asks you if you’re planning to ‘do your hair’ like a twist-out isn’t considered DONE! One can offer tips all day long, but if you’re not mentally prepared to go natural, those of us on this journey know how much more challenging this road may be for you. It’s comforting knowing that Audrey Davis-Sivasothy thought to include such an important, and often glossed over, aspect of this journey in this read. If you like what you read, Audrey Davis-Sivasothy also offers two additional books, ‘The Science of Black Hair’ as well as ‘Hair Care Rehab: The Ultimate Hair Repair and Reconditioning Manual’. Pricing is on the higher side of this list and ranging from $25 and up, but I was still able to locate this staple for $15 on thriftbooks.com.
Whether you are adding to your collection of natural hair books for yourself or someone you love who is on their own natural hair journey, take a moment to check out one of the books listed here, and help to educate, encourage and encourage more self-love as well as learn about the amazing world of natural black hair!
Xo,
Tabitha Wiggins