"Hair Love" PBS Race & Diversity Book Series from Morgan County Partnership

(Book 6of 13). The Morgan County Partnership's Positive Action SEL and Wellness Program presents "Hair Love" by Academy Award-winnnig creator Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison. "Hair Love is a heartwarming tale about a girl, her dad, and some awesome hair that is uniquely hers."

"Parents need to know that Hair Love, by former NFL wide receiver Matthew A. Cherry and illustrated by Vashti Harrison, is a lovingly depicted tale of a young African American girl's celebration of her hair and the special relationship she has with her father. Zuri is young and spirited, precocious and creative, and with the help of her dad is able to wrangle her kinky, coily hair into a style worthy of an extra special day. There are positive messages about patience and hard work, and Zuri has a keen awareness of her father's workload and all he does for her, especially when her mother is out of town. Harrison's rich, stylish, vivid illustrations amplify the story, which is based on Cherry's short animated film of the same name."

Coming up next: SHE PERSISTED by Chelsea Clinton

FOR FAMILIES/CLASSROOM TEACHERS, HERE ARE STUDENT ACTIVITIES/DISCUSSION PROMPTS:
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation:

Discussion Questions:
Context and Connections:
• Traditions are important in families,
and in this film, one of the traditions
is that the mother does the hair of
her daughter. In your home who is in
charge of helping kids with their daily
routines? Why do you think that the
job is done by that person? What are
some struggles or challenges that
you remember while getting ready in
the morning?
• Beauty equals acceptance in our
culture much of the time, but is that
why you think it is so important for
Zuri to be able to walk out the door
feeling beautiful in the morning?

Characters, Setting and Story:
• Take note of the beginning of the
film. What is the setting? What things
do you observe in the setting that are
important to Zuri?
• Is the date an important one for
her? How do you know from her
behavior?
• Who is Zuri’s “fashion consultant” on
her hairstyle?
• Have you ever watched a video to
help you learn something? If so, what
was it? Was it as easy as the video
showed? Why or why not?
• How does Zuri’s Dad feel about
trying to get her hair to look like she
wants? How do you know this is how
he feels, even though there is no
dialogue?
• In the “battle” scene, why do
you think Zuri’s hair becomes a
character? If you were going to
name the character and give it some
dialogue, what would its name be,
and what would it say to Dad? What
would Dad say back to it?
• When you find out about Mom,
what present does Zuri have that is
important? Describe what she brings
with her, and why it might be such an
important gift.

For more resources, see:
More Discussion Questions, see: https://sffilm.org/wp-content/uploads...
The Story Behind the Film: https://sffilm.org/wp-content/uploads...
https://shelf-awareness.com/issue.htm...
For online printables: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/P...