cover image An Enchanted Hair Tale

An Enchanted Hair Tale

Alexis De Veaux. HarperCollins Publishers, $15 (40pp) ISBN 978-0-06-021623-8

The dreadlocks of Sudan's enchanted hair ""giggled when he talked/ and roared when he walked/ and often sprouted wings.'' But people make fun of his hair, and that makes him misbehave. He finally runs away from home and discovers a back street filled with zebras, parakeets and, more importantly, exotic people with hair like his own. They invite him to join them, and one of the street people, Pearl Poet, finally takes him home. ``Just be your pretty self, Sudan,'' she tells him. ``And remember this. . . .ugly words/ shall never harm you.'' The flashy text is sometimes awkwardly rhymed, but the unusual story is beautifully illustrated by newcomer Hanna. Her rich black-and-white drawings hover intriguingly between the text's real and imaginary worlds. Ages 5-8. (October)