My daughter is learning to love her curly hair. There’s a lot to love about having curly hair, but it also makes her stand out. She gets comments on her hair almost every time we go somewhere. While most of the comments are kind and well-meaning, as a woman who’s almost 6’ tall, I can say that being noticed because of a trait beyond your control isn’t always comfortable.
For both of us, finding toys, characters in movies or books, and real-life celebrities who share our unique traits helps us feel more comfortable in our own bodies. I vividly remember when I got my first Jem doll (from the 80’s show “Jem & the Holograms”). She was a 12” doll who towered over my 11” Barbies. It was okay that Jem was tall, so it was easier to feel like it was okay that I was tall. I felt seen, which was beyond amazing.
Because of my experience, I actively look for characters and toys that might help my daughter feel more comfortable with her curly hair. I want her to have the same feeling I did with my Jem doll. I also want her peers to see toys and characters with curly hair. The more they see curly hair in the world, the less likely they’ll view it as something so unique that it requires comment. It might be a trait they notice, but it won’t be any different than noticing someone has brown eyes.
In the Library, we actively search for material that members of our community can find themselves in. We know how important representation is to people who feel different. In some cases, finding oneself in books or media can be life changing. It was for me.
If you haven’t found yourself in our collection, please let us know. We’ll see if we can fix that.
Our Summer Reading events this week have a nautical theme! Boat races at storytime on Wed. at 10:30 AM and boat crafts Thurs. at 10 AM and 6 PM.