Bippity Bop barbershop

by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley

Publishers Weekly :

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What Natasha Anastasia Tarpley did for the mother-daughter bond in I Love My Hair! she now does for father and son in Bippity Bop Barbershop, illus. by E.B. Lewis. One full-bleed watercolor spread depicts three generations of men draped in purple barber's capes, each with his own distinguished hairstyle.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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School Library Journal :
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K-Gr 2-Rites of passage in a child's life are appealing subjects for picture books, and that is the case in this tale of a boy's first haircut. Tarpley's I Love My Hair! (Little, Brown, 1998) celebrates the positive self-image and cultural identity of African-American girls, and Bippity Bop does the same for boys. Miles is nervous about visiting the barber for his first "official" haircut; he's afraid that the buzzing clippers will hurt, and he doesn't know what kind of cut to request. The descriptions of Miles trying to be "brave" are labored and unconvincing. Happily, the resolution of his hairstyle dilemma rings true: he selects a cut just like his daddy's. Miles and Dad leave the shop with identical haircuts, sharing high-fives, "two cool cats" walking to the rhythm of a "bippity bop" beat. Lewis's delightfully fluid watercolor illustrations get everything just right. The book is filled with cheerful and loving scenes of home and community, and remarkably expressive portrayals of men going about their business, tending shop, or awaiting their turns in the barber chair. With its depictions of dreadlocks, Afros, and even gleaming bald pates, Bippety Bop adds diversity to the small but growing niche of multicultural books that celebrate hair.-Mary Ann Carcich, Mattituck-Laurel Public Library, Mattituck, NY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Review
: Booklist :
From Booklist, February 15, 2002, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
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*Starred Review*
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Ages 4-6. A young African American boy's first haircut at the neighborhood barbershop is the subject of this memorable picture book by Tarpley, who celebrated an African American girl's hair and her sense of self in I Love My Hair (1998). Early one Saturday morning, Miles awakens to his father's special knock at his bedroom door. Together they make their way down the street to the barbershop. In this male sanctuary, Miles is first greeted as "Little Man," but after he has found the courage to sit up straight for the barber's scissors and (worse) the clippers, he is told, "Guess I can't call you Little Man anymore, Miles. You're one of the big boys, now." Written in first person from Miles' point of view, the text clearly conveys the child's sensations and observations as well as his fears and his way of working through them. In addition, the book vividly portrays the boy's warm relationship with his father. The light-dappled watercolor paintings give the scenes a real sense of place, while bringing the characters to life through the sensitive depiction of expressions, gestures, and body language. A child-centered story, well paced and beautifully illustrated.
¾: Carolyn Phelan.
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