Big Wig

The fuchsia bouffant wig of a light-skinned child drag queen named B.B. Bedazzle takes the spotlight in this picture book. In rhyming prose, Hillman follows Wig, who feels confident atop B.B.’s head until seeing the more voluminous wigs at the Big Wig Ball, seemingly a contest for young drag queens (with participants of varying skin tone). When Wig flies off of B.B.’s head and onto other kids’ pates, each magically feels more confident, and the sentient hairpiece regains self-assurance: “One by one,/ Wig gives them a try./ And all together,/ they help Wig fly!” Though the main takeaway—that Wig is “big enough no matter her size”—feels slightly muddled, the flying wig, portrayed in Hastings’s dynamic, vividly hued digital art, entertains. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)