We first see Chris skateboarding past his elementary school, his long, curly hair blowing in the wind. He’s got a big smile on his face.
But teasing can crumble self-esteem even in a strong child. The kids at school laugh, stare, and call Chris’ hair “girly”. He gets some reassurance from his mother but, still unsure, decides to check out the mirror:
“And then, right there, a woman appeared.
It was kind of wild and a little weird!”
This woman, an African queen version of a fairy godmother, explains that in a faraway land, he’d look just like a king — and he even sees himself in the mirror in royal robes and a crown. When Chris asks who the woman is, she tells him that the real question is “Who are you?”
Written in rhyming couplets, the story continues to explore Chris’ identity crisis, as he transforms from having an unconsidered self-assurance to an almost haughty confidence to genuine self-esteem. He comes to recognize that his hair is amazing — and so is the hair of his schoolmates.
Marchánt Davis is an actor, writer, and producer; A Boy and His Mirror is his picture book debut. Keturah A. Bobo illustrated the #1 New York Times bestseller I Am Enough by Grace Byers and excels at creating images that convey respect, kindness, and appreciation for diversity to three-to-seven-year-old readers.
