This Hair Belongs

With lyrical verse and dazzling illustrations, this joyful ode to Black hair will empower readers ages 4-8 to celebrate the historical, cultural, and emotional significance of their natural hair.

From the intricate coils of kings and queens to the cornrowed maps to freedom of African Americans, This Hair Belongs is a heartfelt poetic tribute to Black hair throughout history. Told through powerful verse, stunning illustrations, and fascinating back matter, this Black history picture book pays tribute to the African origins of Black hairstyles and will remind young Black readers that their hair is magical and beautiful and belongs.

JaNay Brown-Wood and Erin K. Robinson deftly weave African and American history into this powerful children’s picture book about Black hair, making it an essential nonfiction title honoring Black cultural heritage.

JaNay Brown-Wood, PhD, is an award-winning children’s author, poet, educator, scholar, and a former professor of Early Childhood Education and Child Development. She is the author of Imani’s Moon, which won the NAESP Children’s Book of the Year Award, and Grandma’s Tiny House. She currently lives in Sacramento, CA.

Erin K. Robinson is an Emmy-nominated illustrator in the category ＂Outstanding New Approaches: Documentary--Obama’s Legacy＂ for her illustrations in the Washington Post. Trained at the Parsons School of Design and the Corcoran School of Art, Erin’s illustrations have been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others, and her picture books include A Library by Nikki Giovanni. In 2025, she is the living stamp artist chosen to create arts programs for Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum. Erin lives part of the year in Kenya and part of the year in the United States.