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HAIRSTORY

Name: HAIRSTORY
Author: Sope Martins
ISBN: 9781665938105

by Sope Martins ; illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 6, 2026

A book to return to often, to build knowledge and foster pride.

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A celebration of Black hair.

A modern child getting her hair done explains that her braids are rooted in “centuries of meaning.” In short, commanding lines of verse styled in a large black font, she extols her locks: They are stories “told from mother / to daughter,” “an ancient Road Map,” “Tangled Strands / coaxed free with an Afro comb.” Hair is art, beauty, identity, and more. Longer paragraphs in a smaller font fill in the details with historical practices and beliefs about hair—for instance, how, in Yorùbá culture, the Earth is depicted as a “goddess who combs her long hair with a hoe,” or how enslaved people braided maps of escape routes into their hair. References to Yorùbá heritage are prevalent throughout, but backmatter goes into detail about other peoples, such as the Masaai, the Himba, and the Afar. Uchendu’s distinctive art makes dramatic use of light and dark, pattern, and distinctive palettes, creating a visual feast for readers to pore over, with several breathtaking spreads. Flipping through the pages to gaze at the beautiful styles is itself an awe-inspiring, confidence-boosting, and emotional experience. While the text placement doesn’t lend itself to the most intuitive read-aloud experience, each element is nevertheless intriguing and nurturing.

A book to return to often, to build knowledge and foster pride. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026

ISBN: 9781665938105

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum

Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

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THE ADVENTURES OF HENRY WHISKERS

From the Adventures of Henry Whiskers series , Vol. 1

by Gigi Priebe ; illustrated by Daniel Duncan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 3, 2017

Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales.

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The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965) upgrades to The Mice and the Rolls-Royce.

In Windsor Castle there sits a “dollhouse like no other,” replete with working plumbing, electricity, and even a full library of real, tiny books. Called Queen Mary’s Dollhouse, it also plays host to the Whiskers family, a clan of mice that has maintained the house for generations. Henry Whiskers and his cousin Jeremy get up to the usual high jinks young mice get up to, but when Henry’s little sister Isabel goes missing at the same time that the humans decide to clean the house up, the usually bookish big brother goes on the adventure of his life. Now Henry is driving cars, avoiding cats, escaping rats, and all before the upcoming mouse Masquerade. Like an extended version of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904), Priebe keeps this short chapter book constantly moving, with Duncan’s peppy art a cute capper. Oddly, the dollhouse itself plays only the smallest of roles in this story, and no factual information on the real Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is included at the tale’s end (an opportunity lost).

Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales. (Fantasy. 6-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4814-6575-5

Page Count: 144

Publisher: Aladdin

Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

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MUMBET'S DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

by Gretchen Woelfle ; illustrated by Alix Delinois ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2014

A life devoted to freedom and dignity, worthy of praise and remembrance.

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With the words of Massachusetts colonial rebels ringing in her ears, a slave determines to win her freedom.

In 1780, Mumbet heard the words of the new Massachusetts constitution, including its declaration of freedom and equality. With the help of a young lawyer, she went to court and the following year, won her freedom, becoming Elizabeth Freeman. Slavery was declared illegal and subsequently outlawed in the state. Woelfle writes with fervor as she describes Mumbet’s life in the household of John Ashley, a rich landowner and businessman who hosted protest meetings against British taxation. His wife was abrasive and abusive, striking out with a coal shovel at a young girl, possibly Mumbet’s daughter. Mumbet deflected the blow and regarded the wound as “her badge of bravery.” Ironically, the lawyer who took her case, Theodore Sedgwick, had attended John Ashley’s meetings. Delinois’ full-bleed paintings are heroic in scale, richly textured and vibrant. Typography becomes part of the page design as the font increases when the text mentions freedom. Another slave in the Ashley household was named in the court case, but Woelfle, keeping her young audience in mind, keeps it simple, wisely focusing on Mumbet.

A life devoted to freedom and dignity, worthy of praise and remembrance. (author’s note, selected bibliography, further reading) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)