Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega
Category: Pura Belpré Award
Age group: Middle grade
Format: Physical book
Summary: Frizzy is a graphic novel that is about a young Dominican girl named Marlene and her hair. Every Sunday her mother takes her to the hair salon to get her hair straightened, something she dislikes doing. She tries to understand why her mother does not allow her to wear her hair naturally. With time, Marlene decides she will embrace her natural curly hair and empowers her mother to wear her own hair naturally.
Justification: I chose this book because I found the cover and title to be intriguing. I kept seeing this book at the library and when I found out it was a Pura Belpré award winner, I knew I had to read it for this category.
Evaluation: I will be evaluating the following, illustrations, plot, and layout.
The illustrations were full color, and the illustrator used fun bright colors. I believe the illustrator did a great job in encompassing the main characters hair and truly showing the reader the texture of the hair, as it is the main point of the story.
The story was well done. I felt the author did good in making the message of the story clear. Marlene did not like that her hair was not considered beautiful the way it was, it was only "beautiful" when she had it straighten. Marlene struggled to understand why she could not embrace her natural curls and why her mother would not accept them. I think this makes the main character relatable to young readers especially young girls who might struggle embracing their natural hair.
The layout was well done. As you read the book, everything is easy to follow, and the text is a good size. There is no confusion throughout the pages and the story flows nicely.
References: Ortega, C. A. (2023). Frizzy. (R. Bousamar, Illus.). Scholastic Inc.
0 comments