Mama's Sleeping Scarf
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
The first children's book from the best-selling author of We Should All Be Feminists and Americanah—a tender story about a little girl’s love for her mother’s scarf, and the adventures she shares with it and her whole family.
Chino loves the scarf that her mama ties around her hair at night. But when Mama leaves for the day, what happens to her scarf? Chino takes it on endless adventures! Peeking through the colorful haze of the silky scarf, Chino and her toy bunny can look at her whole family as they go through their routines.
With stunning illustrations from Joelle Avelino, Mama’s Sleeping Scarf is a celebration of family, and a touching story about the everyday objects that remind us of the ones we love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A mother's scarf helps a child navigate a day's beats in this reiterative garment-focused picture book from Grace-James (Americanah, for adults, as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) and illustrator Avelino, both making U.S. picture book debuts. Green with "big red circles and little blue circles," Mama's silky sleeping scarf helps "to keep her hair all soft and nice." When Mama has to leave for the day, she offers up the scarf as a plaything, an action that catalyzes further connection with the child's other family members. Bright, pattern-forward domestic spreads depict Chino as wrapping stuffed companion Bunny in the scarf while playing doctor, using the scarf to play peekaboo with Papa, waving it around on a walk with Grandpa, and having it tied around Chino's own head by Grandma. When dinner is served, the textile even inspires Chino to eat vegetables that mimic its pattern. Conversations between Chino and Bunny sometimes echo narrative lines, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness, while appealing household details ("fresh fruits all sweet and nice. Yellow bananas and green mangoes") contribute fresh sensorial observations. This straightforward yet lively telling illustrates how a simple object used to maintain and accessorize hair supports both a child's sense of autonomy and a Black family's powerful bond. Ages 3–7.
