I Hate My Curly Hair by Divya Anand | Book Review

“‘I’ll do it myself,’ I proclaim
And so I stretch it with books, oil and glue
I tug till my head’s black and blue!
But nothing can tame
This wild, curly mane!”

Curly haired girl does everything she can to straighten her stubborn curls. After all, everywhere she looks she sees heroines with smooth, silky hair. Then one day, a big bully comes along and everything changes!

Grass always does appear greener on the other side. As a young girl I couldn’t understand why everyone loved my short, straight hair. It was nothing like I wanted it to be – long, thick and with huge curls. I’d pester my mother to tie it up in rollers after shampooing it. Stubborn as they were, they’d straighten out soon after.

This little girl’s dilemma is quite the opposite. Her crazy curls need a lot of care to tame them causing her much stress, not to mention the endless bullying at school.

Written for the 4-8years age group, Divya Anand uses poetry in a fun, imaginative format to highlight body shaming and the effect it has on a young girl. Accompanied by large picture book illustrations, the story describes this girl’s journey to self-acceptance and how she can use her most striking feature to make friends.

Rujuta Thakurdesai’s simple yet colourful illustrations capture her hair struggles beautifully and certainly drive the point home.

When all you see are ads promoting products to make your hair smooth and silky, it is especially important for young girls to grow to be body positive and this book is a great step towards that objective.

I Hate My Curly Hair by Divya Anand. Illustrated by Rujuta Thakurdesai. Published in May 2020 by Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House India. This review copy courtesy of the author.

Book 4 of 2022.

Aquamarine Flavours Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.

Available on Amazon*.

About Photo: As the protagonist learns, everyone’s hair has style – straight and silky, wavy, curly or crimpy.

This papercraft pencil with a curly hair topper is my version of curly, crimpy hair created by folding strips of paper.

About the Author: Divya Anand, often called ‘baal ki dukaan‘, struggled with unruly, thick, curly hair for over two decades before she realized her hair looks best when it’s left uncombed! She loves using her curls to hold the numerous pens, pencils and paintbrushes she needs while she’s writing, doodling or working. She gets her best creative ides when she’s hanging upside down, doing anti-gravity yoga.

If you’re in Bangalore, you might spot her (and her distinctive curls!) with her husband Vivek. Their quest to eat bizarre foods from around the world feature in her first book, Dare Eat That.

You can reach her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About the Illustrator: Rujuta Thakurdesai is an architect turned illustrator and graphic designer, working in New Delhi. She likes spooky stories, afternoon naps, and is a connoisseur of poor jokes.

You can reach her on Instagram and Twitter.

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