Hair

The round-headed baby who has starred in Patricelli's Boo!, Hop! Hop! and numerous other board books has long been defined by the single, curly hair springing from its head. But what happens when that hair needs a trim? With the baby's hair now resembling a mangled car antenna, Mom whisks her child to a salon for kids, where the baby calmly submits to the experience ("I put on a funny cape and sit in an airplane!"), providing reassurance for kids whose hair may also be getting a little unruly. Patricelli's bold acrylics are as entertaining as ever in this warm and funny tribute to the messy everyday life of a tot. Up to age 3. (Jan.)

Baby-Toddler--Clad in just a diaper, a cartoon-style white baby declares, "I have a hair!" What follows is a tot-inspired tutorial on how to care for that one curl. Of course, all of that hair maintenance leads to--a haircut! "Will it hurt?" frets the concerned-looking tot, as a lone blue teardrop slides down a rosy cheek. "It did not hurt! Now my hair is just right." The last two pages feature a dozen different types of hair on a multiethnic cast of floating heads. Patricelli's vibrant art style is fully evident and on display here, with brightly hued acrylic paint backgrounds on each spread, chunky black outlines, and lots of smiles. VERDICT A reassuring title to introduce toddlers to their hair and the upkeep required. For early learning collections.--Lisa G. Kropp, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY