My Head Is Full of Colors

Like the protagonist's head, this first book is full of colors . . . and patterns and more colors and patterns. Kiki, who is known for her T-shirts and greeting cards, brings some--but not enough--relief to Friend's preachy story with jolly, cluttered illustrations. One morning Maria discovers her hair has turned a rainbow of colors and, correspondingly, that she can now paint beautifully. A few days later her hair turns into hundreds of books, and she reads and thinks better than ever. Animals and then people occupy her tresses, developing her appreciation of both. When her plain brown locks return, she sobs, ``My head is empty,'' but after her mother reassures her that her head is still full of ideas, Maria ``skips down the hall with her head held high. `Look, Mom, my head is full of me!' '' Although Maria's predicament is appealingly silly at first, the story is quickly bludgeoned by its thinly disguised adult agenda. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)