Noah, who has brown skin, is not shy about dropping “subtle hints” regarding what he’d like for his upcoming birthday. He has plenty of ideas. But he doesn’t ask for the thing he secretly wants most of all: long hair that he can toss expressively and style. Everywhere he looks, boys and men have short hair (or no hair!), and Noah knows that some people can be unkind to boys with long hair. After his birthday haircut—“the usual”—he starts to cry. To cheer himself up, he wears a t-shirt around his head like a wig. When his big day arrives, Noah is delighted to receive several of the gifts he asked for. The best gift, however, is a surprise: a long, flowing, “magnificent” wig from his parents. “‘I’m gorgeous!’ he declared,” admiring himself in the mirror. And when Noah’s birthday comes around the next year, all he needs is “a little off the ends” of his now shoulder-length hair. A gently humorous, feel-good story that celebrates self-expression and family acceptance ends with a few “conversation starters” about acceptance of self and others regardless of personal style or expression. (Ages 4-9)

A boy dreams of long hair in this sweet story about self-expression and embracing our most authentic selves

Noah has a special day coming up, and he has a very long wish list. But there’s one thing missing from it, the thing he wants more than anything else in the world: long, beautiful, wavy hair.

Noah understands that his hair will grow if he just doesn’t get a haircut. But almost all the boys that Noah knows have short hair, and he’s heard people say mean things about men with long hair. So, he just doesn’t think he’s allowed to ask.

When a fresh trim brings Noah to his lowest point, it turns out his caring family has been paying closer attention than he thinks—and they have an idea that will show Noah it’s okay to be his gorgeous self.

This heartfelt, witty, encouraging story from Christian Trimmer and J Yang will empower kids to share their true selves with the world.