Some Pigtails

November 1, 2020

Gr 2-4-When Lola enlists her artist grandfather to braid her pigtails, his unique approach enchants her classmates, encouraging them to be just as creative with their hair styles. The school principal claims that students are violating the school's dress code and Lola, inspired by E.B. White's Charlotte's Web, decides to use her words and take action. Lola is friendly and resourceful, but doesn't have the personality to carry a chapter book series. The Charlotte's Web references become heavy handed, and the dialogue can be didactic and stilted. The cartoon style black-and-white illustrations have clean lines that should appeal to Disney fans. The full-color cover illustration depicts Lola with brown skin but doesn't mention Lola and her family's racial or ethnic background. Lola's friend Fayth is drawn with darker skin; every other character is white. Readers are told that Lola's mother is starting a new role as a supervisor for the local police department; this is presented as nothing more than an exciting new job. This easy acceptance stands out in a story about activism spotlighting a character of color. Readers should pass in favor of more nuanced chapter books such as Saadia Faruqi's "Yasmin" series, and Juana Medina's "Juana and Lucas" books. VERDICT Hampered by bland characters and a missed opportunity to incorporate contemporary topics more deeply into its activist motif, this is not recommended for purchase.-Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 30, 2021
Grades 1-3 Lola is a perky third-grader who lives with her single mom (a cop!) and her grandfather, who has recently started to help Lola get ready for school in the mornings by doing her hair. What started with a simple request for pigtails quickly turns into more creative hairstyles, as Grampa Ed flexes his artistic muscles, and soon Lola's classmates are joining in the fun, too. Unfortunately, the principal believes the hairstyles are too distracting and deems these 'dos hairdon'ts. In response, Lola rallies her classmates for a series of truly distracting protests: Fake Tattoo Day, Sunglasses Day, and Really Bad Smell Day (no one bathes)--but it's a well composed petition that really gets her results she can be proud of. The Lola Jones series is well written with black-and-white illustrations, high-level vocabulary, and strong themes for young readers. This entry does a wonderful job of explaining individual rights and demonstrating how to speak up for oneself, and it offers young readers a positive depiction of a multi-generational Black family in an early chapter-book format.

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