As Keyana's mother combs her hair, she tells her stories about all the ways it can be styled: in cornrows, as an afro, spun and woven into a puffy bun, or in braids with beads that make tap-tap clicky-clacky sounds when she walks. Her upbeat, positive portrayal of African American hair fills Keyana with pride. E.B. Lewis's realistic watercolor paintings extend the story with his imaginative interpretation of Keyana's thoughts as her mother combs her hair. (Ages 4-8)

Every night before she goes to bed, Kenyana sits down between her mother's knees to have her hair combed. But no matter how gently Mama pulls, it sometimes still hurts! Keyana doesn't still hurts! Keyana doesn't feel lucky to have such a head of hair, but Mama says she is because she can wear it any way she chooses."I can spin your hair into a fine, soft yarn, just like our grandmothers did at their spinning wheels, " She tells her. "Or I can part your hair into stright lines and plant rows of braids along your scalp, the way we plant seeds in our garden." Soon Kenyana, too, finds reasons to love her hair, and she wears it any way she chooses with pride.