Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

Offering a refreshingly unique take on a slice-of-life for young men of color, this iconographic-animated adaptation of writer Derrick Barnes and illustrator Gordon C. James’s 2017 picture book is narrated by Adam Lazarre-White. The book—a winner of numerous awards including the Kirkus Prize and Newbery, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King honors—captures the atmosphere and feelings tied to a trip to the barber shop. The realistic oil paintings and soundtrack that skips between blues, jazz, and hip-hop add to the flavor of Crown, which is rhythmically-spoken and includes descriptive passages such as "You came in as a lump of clay…a blank canvas" and "You’ll have more waves on your head than the Atlantic Ocean." On the other hand, some of the passages were odd, related to getting better grades from teachers because of a hairstyle or "being viewed in your mother’s eyes as someone that matters" due to a fresh cut (good gawd, if your own Mama can’t love you beyond your hair, who can?). Overall, however, this is a fine ode to a rite of passage. Featuring a read-along option, this is recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)