FICTION

Bad Hair Day

by John Phillips (text) & illus. by ­Jennifer Jamieson
Quarto/words & pictures. Oct. 2023. 32p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780711290167.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2–Teacher/singer/songwriter Phillips’s TikTok-turned-picture-book makes for a jolly read-aloud. The white, redheaded main character is having a bad hair day and so are some other kids in his class. From hair that looks like feathers on the back end of a chicken to hair that turns a minty green, the unnamed MC rolls with it and sings it out. Jamieson’s bright, movement-filled cartoon illustrations include an expressive dancing chicken and a diverse classroom full of kids with different hair types, skin colors, and physical capabilities. The rhyming text has an easy beat, even if readers aren’t familiar with the tune. This is a good pick for story hours when children need a chance to move around; it shows that a bad hair day, or bad days in general, happen to everyone.
VERDICT A fun purchase if there are funds for hot titles with social media origins.
Reviewed by ­Hillary Perelyubskiy , Sep 01, 2023

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