Hairs - Pelitos

Hairs – Pelitos, by Sandra Cisneros, first appeared as a short chapter in her well-known adult novella, The House on Mango Street. In it, Cisneros lovingly described the members of her family. Now, in picture book form, Cisneros shares the diversity within her family, by vividly describing their different hair types.

This bilingual book starts with “Everybody in our family has different hair” and proceeds to describe each member of a diverse family, by describing the differences and texture of their hair. What stands out the most to me, is the way Cisneros describes her mother’s hair, “sweet to put your nose into when she is holding you” and “the warm smell of bread before you bake it.” Each page, illustrated by Terry Ybañez, is a colorful rendering of each family member, surrounded by a border containing smaller details that complement the story.

This book also includes suggested activities that can be shared with children after reading the story. As a mentor text, and in the teaching of writing, this book is perfect in its use of descriptive language. Hairs-Pelitos is perfect for children ages 4 to 8.

This book succeeds in celebrating the physical differences within a family, which are a phenomenon resulting from the wondrous combination of traits in our Latino heritage. I’ve observed the same beautiful variety as a teacher of children from various countries – curly hair, straight, spongy, sleek, unruly, thick, and baby thin. These differences are also present in my parents, my siblings, and our children.

This heart-warming story is a wonderful springboard for discussing family ties and differences with young children.