Big Bouffant

Encourage the act of individuality and even turn the act of it "fun!"

Horsford, Kate.
Big Bouffant.
March 2011.
Lerner Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Annabelle is excited about the first day of school and has to withhold her under-enthusiasm when she walks into class to discover that the class is full of braids and pigtails. Longing to be different that the other girls, Annabelle twirls her way home desperate to find a new hairdo for the next day. After tirelessly trying to style a "big bouffant" just like her grandmother's, Annabelle finally gets it right and heads to bed, excited to show off her new hairdo. After a few days, everyone is begging for a bouffant style and Annabelle quickly tires of sharing a similar hairstyle, longing to be different once again.

The story is wonderful! The rhymes are almost sing-songy and seem to be sung to a certain tune (although which is beyond me) - if anyone can figure it out, please enlighten me! I was pleasantly surprised with the ending when Annabelle longed for uniqueness after sharing her hairstyle with classmates... it wasn't at all how I imagined she'd become unique once again, but it definitely worked and showed off Annabelle's creativity! This would be a great light-hearted read to share with your child(ren) before sending them off to a new year at school!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Spend some time helping your child experiment with a new hairdo before heading back to school. Encourage their individualism and allow your child to express his/herself! Deem it a crazy hair day and partake in the activity yourself - if nothing else, it will make for a great summertime memory!
• In their summer journal, have your child create a list of ways they could express their individuality. If you need help getting them started with the list, check out the ideas found here!
  

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