Affirming Hair-Love Picture Books to Foster Acceptance & Self-Love

This is a heartwarming tale filled with humor, showcasing a black father and his daughter navigating her hair care with love and laughter. This story, beautifully illustrated and adapted into an Academy Award-winning short film, celebrates the beauty of natural hair and the bonds formed through everyday moments. Cherry’s narrative, vibrant and touching, encourages both children and parents to embrace their unique traits with joy.

Lauren Ellen Anderson’s book explores the challenges and adventures of a little girl who desperately wants to change her curly hair, only to at last discover the beauty and uniqueness as she embraces her natural curls. This tale is a great reminder of self-acceptance and the joy to be found in learning to love our own distinctive features.

Crown burst onto the scene in 2017 as a vibrant celebration of a young black boy’s transformative barbershop experience. Crown received a Newbery Honor for author Derrick Barnes, a Caldecott Honor for illustrator Gordon C. James, and Coretta Scott King Awards for both. The book is an energetic homage to the fresh haircut that boosts confidence and embraces cultural pride, capturing the community spirit of the barbershop. It’s a fun, uplifting read that highlights the joy and swagger a great cut can bring.

When you’re a kid, sometimes it feels like no one is listening to you. In My Fade is Fresh, a little girl goes to get a fade. But everyone there keeps trying to convince her of other ways to style her hair. She stands her ground, makes her voice heard, and ends up with the hairstyle that makes her feel, well, fresh! The illustrations pop and the rhyming language takes you away. Snag a copy of this book today!

Noah dreams of having long, beautiful, wavy hair for his birthday. This charming story explores self-expression and the joy of embracing who you truly are, with Noah ultimately getting the hair he wishes for. Noah’s parents buy him a fabulous purple wig—but that’s not all. They also show him how to wear and care for a wig. It’s a fantastic read for kids, encouraging them to express themselves with confidence and pride, as well as illustrating how parents can be hands-on in this expression.

Written by a mother and daughter duo, My Rainbow is a story about Trinity, a black autistic trans girl, and her desire to have long hair to feel more like a girl. Her mother decides to create a beautiful rainbow wig for her daughter that’s just as unique as Trinity. This book is layered with identities and shows how much love and support family members can give one another. It’s a very special read.

I cannot recommend this picture book enough! It’s a fun and lively story about a young girl named Laxmi who learns to rock her body hair with pride. After her classmates tease her about her upper lip hair (mooch), her parents help her see the beauty in her unique features. Laxmi shows her schoolmates that everyone has their own mooch and just how you can make it your own. This spirited tale is all about embracing what makes you different and loving yourself just the way you are.

Chosen by the American Library Association Black Caucus as a “Best of the Best” children’s book for 2020, Bedtime Bonnet is a picture book that tells the story of a young girl and her family’s bedtime routine, which includes everyone putting on their bonnets, durags, and scarves to protect their hair while they sleep. The book celebrates the cultural practice of hair care in black families and highlights the importance of these routines in maintaining healthy hair. With vibrant illustrations and a heartwarming narrative, Bedtime Bonnet is a wonderful and relatable read for children, emphasizing the beauty of family traditions and self-care.

Only A Trenza Away is a sweet story about the bond between Xiomara and her papá. Papá and Xia connect through a nightly routine of him braiding her hair. While Xia is getting her trenzas done, she goes on imaginary adventures with her papá, including a thrilling journey through the jungle! This nightly ritual teaches Xia important virtues like patience and strength, all beautifully illustrated to capture the tenderness of their bond.

Part of the Little Feminist Book Club series, this is a board book that uses photographs submitted by readers to showcase all different types of hair. From locs to hijab-covered heads to bald heads, and even body hair, this book celebrates every and any type of hair you can think of. It’s sweet, celebratory, and inclusive. Your littlest ones will start learning to love their own hair right off the bat with this book.

Fathers and daughters can have a lot in common. In Hair Twins, a Sikh father and his daughter connect through their shared hair care rituals. The book celebrates cultural pride and the connection their long hair symbolizes. With engaging illustrations and a sweet, playful narrative, this story highlights the joyful bond they find in something both simple and meaningful—their hair.

This book tells a sweet story of friendship and inclusion. Bea, a child with alopecia areata―meaning she doesn’t have any hair—worries about “silly hair day” at school. So her friends come together with an imaginative solution, showing her that celebrations are for everyone. Camila Carrossine’s playful illustrations bring warmth and humor to a thoughtful tale, inspiring empathy and the power of kindness in overcoming challenges. It’s a great book for sparking meaningful conversations about differences.

In this book, author Hena Khan provides Muslim girls with relatable, loveable characters who each wear their hijab in their own way. For non-Muslim readers, Aaliya Jaleel’s colorful illustrations and gentle storytelling open up a window into the beauty and diversity of the traditional Muslim headscarf. The book offers a welcoming glimpse into a tradition often underrepresented in children’s literature, fostering understanding and respect for different religious and cultural expressions.

The book celebrates the beauty of black kids’ hair by showcasing princesses with afros, braids, puffs, and curls. EacThe book celebrates the beauty of black kids’ hair by showcasing princesses with afros, braids, puffs, and curls. Each unique hairstyle radiates personality, showing that hair can be as distinctive as the person who wears it. This joyful story fosters pride in kids’ natural hair and highlights the loveliness of diverse styles, creating an affirming experience that honors individuality and heritage.h unique hairstyle radiates personality, showing that hair can be as distinctive as the person who wears it. This joyful story fosters pride in kids’ natural hair and highlights the loveliness of diverse styles, creating an affirming experience that honors individuality and heritage.

This is a moving picture book that celebrates Indigenous American identity, resilience, and the cultural significance of hair. The story follows a young girl growing her hair long, connecting with her ancestors’ traditions after her grandmother was forced to cut hers in boarding school. Through lyrical storytelling and vibrant art, My Powerful Hair emphasizes the value of heritage, family, and reclaiming cultural pride.

When talking about self-love and hair love, it’s important to make sure we include titles for the youngest kids, too! My Hair is Like Yours is a wonderful board book for little readers that expresses a love of black hair through photographs and rhyme. It leverages two great ways to engage babies and tots in books by featuring real photos of girls and boys, along with a mirror  for little ones to literally see themselves and love the hair they see.

Suri has more hair than any child she knows. One day she meets Amaya, who is experiencing hair loss, and Suri decides to share her beautiful hair by donating it for a wig. Amaya feels loved and confident, and their friendship blossoms. This touching story of generosity highlights the impact of small, caring acts. With warmth and empathy, Walker encourages kids in supporting others, making Hair to Share a heartfelt read about compassion and the bonds that connect us.

Every Sunday is “Magic Hair Day” in Meenu’s house. Meenu embraces the “magic” of hair oiling—a cherished tradition shared with her mother and grandmother. As Meenu learns to apply fragrant oils herself, she discovers that the true magic lies in the closeness of family and cultural connection. This tender story honors tradition and the love passed through generations, offering a beautiful reflection on the rituals that shape our sense of belonging.

In this book, Maggie’s parents are out of town and Gram is coming to stay with her. The girl loves spending time with her grandmother, but every morning Gram is disappointed in the way Maggie wears her natural hair. Despite Gram’s daily refrain of “Maggie Sinclair, will you please fix your hair?” Maggie stands tall and proud with her bantu knots, cornrows, and afro, ultimately reminding Gram of the beauty of her own hair. This story, based on the author’s own life experiences, uplifts self-love and engages kids with its rhyming refrain, which they’ll love to join in on during re-readings.