Black Girl Magic Written by Mia Harris, Illustrated by Tiffany Wilson (2019) – paperback
This book exudes positivity and self confidence! Along the same vein as Happy Hair and its “boy edition,” Cool Cuts, it does not have a traditional story structure. Instead, the pages are full of images of beautiful Black girls with various skin tones and rocking different hairstyles, while using the letters in the phrase “Black Girl Magic” to relay inspirational messages, like: “B” is for “Believe: Always believe in yourself!” Wilson did a wonderful job depicting as many unique looks as possible, even including a character with vitiligo! At quick glance, it appears that the cover art character has vitiligo but it’s actually puzzle pieces that represent various skin tones and is a visual companion to the author’s message to little Black girls: “You are a mysterious piece to a magical puzzle!”
Take-away message: Young Black girls can use this book as a source for inspiration and self-love! I can see them having fun choosing the character that best represents their own look and style.
TAGS: Black, Black hair, textured hair, brown skin, female lead, female empowerment, indie publisher, vitiligo, paperback
