Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
Author of I Love My Hair!
About the Author
Works by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
Love My Hair! 1 copy
Associated Works
In Search of Color Everywhere: A Collection of African-American Poetry (1994) — Contributor — 105 copies
Shaking the Tree: A Collection of Fiction and Memoir by Black Women (2003) — Contributor — 54 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Gender
- female
- Short biography
- [from The Harlem Charade]
Natasha Tarpley is the author of the bestselling picture book I Love My Hair! and other acclaimed titles for children and adults. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, among other awards. When she is not writing books, Ms. Tarpley can usually be found reading them. She has also taken up the cruel and unusual hobby of running marathons. Ms. Tarpley is the cofounder of Voonderbar! Media, a multicultural children's book publishing and media company. She fell in love with Harlem and New York City and lived there for many years before moving back to her hometown of Chicago, Illinois, where she lives with her husband and works alongside her nieghbors to make their community a better place. - Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- Harlem, New York, New York, USA
Chicago, Illinois, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
Envision a world where children are dreamers and explorers of themselves, and you have this book.
Tarpley’s latest picture book is a thoughtfully written poem penned to affirm Black children. She gives Black children permission to investigate their inner and outer landscapes and supports their choices in determining how they show up in the world. Tarpley’s text declares: “I am hope”; “I am a tiny bird”; “I am light.” These words and phrases are powerful analogies and metaphors show more for strength, resiliency, and freedom. Other metaphors invite children to see themselves as a “free spirit” who moves “to the rhythm of my own heartbeat” and a “gardener” who plants “dreams the world will know.” The photo-collage illustrations are full of color and movement, each one with a beautiful Black child front and center. Many of the images are out of this world—sometimes literally—and styled to represent the ideas from the stanzas they accompany. One child is a “yet unnamed” superhero surrounded by flames; another is a star dancing across the night sky; and two children who represent sadness wear golden tears frozen on their small brown cheeks. The images are a blend of the realistic and the fantastic, with hints of Afro-futurism. Moreover, the ideas are not presented as static states of being: The children are free to move fluidly from one idea to the next, as evidenced in the refrain: “My creativity and curiosity / flow without end, / and if I meet an obstacle, / I just begin again.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An affirming celebration of individuality and cultural appreciation. (Picture book. 4-7) show less
Tarpley’s latest picture book is a thoughtfully written poem penned to affirm Black children. She gives Black children permission to investigate their inner and outer landscapes and supports their choices in determining how they show up in the world. Tarpley’s text declares: “I am hope”; “I am a tiny bird”; “I am light.” These words and phrases are powerful analogies and metaphors show more for strength, resiliency, and freedom. Other metaphors invite children to see themselves as a “free spirit” who moves “to the rhythm of my own heartbeat” and a “gardener” who plants “dreams the world will know.” The photo-collage illustrations are full of color and movement, each one with a beautiful Black child front and center. Many of the images are out of this world—sometimes literally—and styled to represent the ideas from the stanzas they accompany. One child is a “yet unnamed” superhero surrounded by flames; another is a star dancing across the night sky; and two children who represent sadness wear golden tears frozen on their small brown cheeks. The images are a blend of the realistic and the fantastic, with hints of Afro-futurism. Moreover, the ideas are not presented as static states of being: The children are free to move fluidly from one idea to the next, as evidenced in the refrain: “My creativity and curiosity / flow without end, / and if I meet an obstacle, / I just begin again.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An affirming celebration of individuality and cultural appreciation. (Picture book. 4-7) show less
Miles is a little dude. He is going get his first haircut at the barbershop. Mr. Seymour is going to cut Miles' hair, just like he has been cutting Miles' daddy's hair since he was a little boy. Miles sees the men playing checkers and watching the basketball game. He hears the jazz music playing and the clippers buzzing. I could almost smell the gulf green and bay rum as the pages turned. This is a barbershop. This is the black man's barbershop. It is one of very few places that black men show more can congregate in love, peace, and friendship with each other and have the world be at peace with them. It is a place where black men can go and say what they want to, laugh as loud as they want to, or even fuss if they need to without being a danger or a threat. The barbershop is the place that black men go, put down what the world thinks of them, relax, and just be a man( you might get that later). Miles got his first haircut. Daddy introduced Miles to a sanctuary. It's much more than just hair. show less
I enjoyed reading "I Love My Hair" because of the writing style and the message behind the text. The story is about a young, African American girl who we meet as she is sitting between her mother’s legs getting her hair styled before bed; she describes how tedious this task is, how her mom must rub coconut oil into her scalp while combing through each section, how much it hurts in particularly tangled places. She tells the reader about each of the styles she likes to have—sometimes she show more wears her hair in tiny braids with beads at the ends, other times she lets her hair be free in an afro, but her favorite is in two ponytails. The language is rich with imagery, similes and metaphors as she compares her hairstyles to a globe, a forest, cotton candy, or a pair of wings. All of these details amount to a great representation of a cultural staple in the African American community—the way that their hair is styled is individualized and specific to what they feel, who they are and how they wish to be perceived. African American hair is difficult to tame, as the young girl describes the pain she endures from her mother, as she tries to be as gentle as possible, and many African American man or woman can relate to the young girl’s struggle to sit through it. The book is a necessary resource to provide confidence to little girls who may see themselves in the character and could use a relatable friend to show them the beauty of their natural hair. Black children may see fellow classmates of different races easily sweeping their hair up into a ponytail or twisting it into a braid and could feel it is unfair that their hair cannot do the same. The message of the story is to any African American girl who needs a little help in appreciating their hair and the way their hair represents their culture and their history; everyone is beautiful in their own way and hair is just one of the many freedoms we all have to show the world who we are. show less
This middle-grade mystery is a vibrant blend of art, activism, and friendship set in the heart of Harlem. Twelve-year-olds Jin, Alex, and Elvin team up to solve the attack on Elvin’s grandfather—only to discover a lost art collection that could save their neighborhood. The story is fast-paced, full of cultural texture, and infused with real stakes about community and identity. My students get hooked on the plot and come away with a deeper appreciation of Harlem’s history and power of show more youth voice. A perfect fit for readers who enjoy Chasing Vermeer-style mysteries with a strong social message. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 15
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 2,158
- Popularity
- #11,911
- Rating
- 4.3
- Reviews
- 144
- ISBNs
- 55
- Languages
- 1
- Favorited
- 1