Book Review: Lockdown Hair (children's literature)

Now today is Friday eve and I'm here for it. I have a busy day of appointments, tennis, and dance and I am going to be exhausted by the time my head hits the pillow. I was just telling Matt that it feels like summer is going by at lightening speed but we haven't done anything. Well, we've done our anniversary trip, but that's it. We have to do something with the kids because they ask EVERY DAY if we're going to do anything fun this summer. Which.... we are, I just need to get it together and make actual plans. 

Lockdown Hair - Linda Steinbock

Uh oh! Siona's family needs her help!

Siona is worried about her mum going back to work at her hair salon while a dangerous virus is on the loose, making so many people sick! Siona decides to do something to help her mum cut hair and stay safe at the same time. She comes up with some creative and ingenious solutions, but will they work?

This fully-illustrated children's book serves as a humorous and sensitive way to introduce children to a public health crisis, lockdowns and the pandemic’s effects on working families. Siona comes up with clever, compassionate ways to keep her mum safe, all while learning to turn fear and anxiety into positive, constructive action. A perfect book for any family to inspire a conversation about ""the new normal"" during the pandemic.

I have to say, I really loved this. Penelope and Lucy did too, and they also offered some.... interesting suggestions on how to cut someone's hair from far away (one involved throwing scissors so yeah... we've put them up a bit higher). This book talks about people who had to go back to work during the height of the Covid crisis. In this care, Seona's mom works in a salon and the time has come for her mom to go back to work, but Seona is really worried about her mom getting sick, a fear many children have had for their parents in all kinds of professions. Her mom basically says she has to because have you seen what people have done to their own hair and guys- I SNORTED. I have spent a lot of time watching Covid hair disaster videos because WHY, people, WHY?! 

So right from the start, I was all in. 

Seona goes through each of the steps that her mom does while cutting hair and she thinks of creative alternatives that allow her mom to remain six feet away from people. If you like books that let you ask some discussion questions that allow for comprehension when reading, this book is PERFECT! You can have kids give their ideas, or make a list at the end of the book like Seona does. It's such a cute story that also reinforces that nobody is too small to have big ideas or to put change into motion, something we should be telling children all of the time. 

Also, the watercolor illustrations by Alexandra Rusu are so wonderful! Illustrators don't always get shout outs, but truly, these are pretty great. 

A huge thank you to Red Clover Digital for sending me a copy for review. 

 

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