The Good
I. Art (Rose Bousamra)
One of the scenes that conveyed so much about hair was at the beginning with Marlene’s cousin. It was not only that Marlene cousin’s hair was straight it was blonde, and her skin was also on lighter side (white passing). When I saw Marlenes cousin I immediately thought of princesses and all the coding we get of what a princess does/does not look like.
princess = light skin, straight hair, graceful
Curly hair/kinky hair = bad, not well behaved, a bunch of negative connections are made
I really appreciated how well by way of the art the ideas were conveyed.
II. I felt like the messages were simple and not heavy handed so that young readers (and older) could get it.
III. Represented adults and young people’s perspective in talking about hair.
IV. Dispelled the idea that natural hair = pain. In mass media and culture there is a continuous connection of kinky hair equaling pain (images of painfully combing through kinky hair is common).
V. Teaching self-love in hair: appearance vs social acceptance. I like that it made it about choice that if you wanted to have your hair straight it is a decision that is not based on all these negative toxic things but what you want.
Thoughts
I. Graphic novels/comics/picture books and just art is able to convey something so well with subtlety. As a medium it is such a good space to challenge the connotations, biases, and imagery/ideas we are subconsciously presented with.
II. I want us to get to the point that we are more actively subverting/inserting the imagery. *Inserts image of The School for Good and Evil movie*
I won this from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group via bookishfirst
I. Art (Rose Bousamra)
One of the scenes that conveyed so much about hair was at the beginning with Marlene’s cousin. It was not only that Marlene cousin’s hair was straight it was blonde, and her skin was also on lighter side (white passing). When I saw Marlenes cousin I immediately thought of princesses and all the coding we get of what a princess does/does not look like.
princess = light skin, straight hair, graceful
Curly hair/kinky hair = bad, not well behaved, a bunch of negative connections are made
I really appreciated how well by way of the art the ideas were conveyed.
II. I felt like the messages were simple and not heavy handed so that young readers (and older) could get it.
III. Represented adults and young people’s perspective in talking about hair.
IV. Dispelled the idea that natural hair = pain. In mass media and culture there is a continuous connection of kinky hair equaling pain (images of painfully combing through kinky hair is common).
V. Teaching self-love in hair: appearance vs social acceptance. I like that it made it about choice that if you wanted to have your hair straight it is a decision that is not based on all these negative toxic things but what you want.
Thoughts
I. Graphic novels/comics/picture books and just art is able to convey something so well with subtlety. As a medium it is such a good space to challenge the connotations, biases, and imagery/ideas we are subconsciously presented with.
II. I want us to get to the point that we are more actively subverting/inserting the imagery. *Inserts image of The School for Good and Evil movie*
I won this from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group via bookishfirst