Frizzy
written by Claribel A. Ortega and illustrated by Rose Bousamra
Pura Belpre Award
Summary:
Frizzy tells the story of a young Dominican American girl named Marlene, whose mother forces her to straighten her curly hair every week. Marlene hates having straight hair and doesn't feel like herself, so she hatches a plan to get away with keeping her curls. In the end, it is through family that she is able to learn to take care of her hair and convince her mother that her curly hair is what makes her feel most herself.
Justification:
This is a wonderful book for children to read. Children with curly hair will identify with Marlene, but any child can relate to the feeling of insecurity she felt, regardless of hair type. The book is a Pura Belpre winner and a fantastic book for a diverse student body.
Illustrations:
The art style in this graphic novel is pink-hued, colorful, and vibrant. I loved the imaginative panels where Marlene was pretending to be a superhero. The art style did a good job of depicting the different hairstyles, and even different stages of Marlene's curly hair.
Plot:
Though the plot is fairly low-stakes, I could see students getting really invested in Marlene's problem and eager to find out how she solves it. Being unhappy with your appearance is something that most children can relate to, so I can see this being a highly circulated book. The plot takes us to multiple different locations in Marlene's life, all of them full of detail and life.
Characters:
The characters in this novel are just adorable. Marlene and her best friend have such a supportive friendship. They set a great example for young readers everywhere. Even when her friend didn't quite understand the hair vision Marlene was going for, she supported her through it. Marlene's mom, though she was the instigator for Marlene's insecurity, was very caring, supportive, and understanding once Marlene finally opened up to her.
Ortega, C., & Bousamra, R. (2023). Frizzy. First Second.
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