Hair Twins by Raakhee Mirchandani and Holly Hatam
Hello, Raakhee Mirchandani! Welcome to Watch. Connect. Read.! I am SUPER excited to celebrate Hair Twins with you today. When I read Hair Twins for the first time, I realized a big smile was planted on my face from the moment I started examining the endpapers until I read the last sentence. And I had the same experience the second, third, and fourth time I read it. (I know the same thing will happen the fifth time I read it.)
RM: I’m a huge Holly fan; friends who are reading this have likely received Dear, Girl from me for themselves or their littles. Holly’s art is a realized dream, not just mine, but for a lot of families that believe, look, sound and live like mine. I guess I don’t know what ran through my mind when I first saw the art, but whatever it was, it was steeped in gratitude for this chance to honor my community with art as thoughtful, beautiful and delightful as Holly’s.
How would you booktalk Hair Twins using 10 words or fewer?
RM: 10 words? What a challenge! Wait, don’t count those. Here I go:
A Sikh family celebrates love, tradition, belonging and Zombie races.
Well done!!! :)
Please finish the following sentence starters.
Did you know that my husband is a turban wearing Sikh and my daughter’s hair is just like the daughter in Hair Twins?
Hair Twins’ endpapers are the wallpaper I wish I had in my apartment.
Mr. Schu, you should have asked me about why I wrote Hair Twins! This book is a celebration of the special, universal bond between fathers and daughters, inspired by both my relationship with my papa and my daughter’s relationship with my husband. I especially love seeing dads like my husband - tall, hot, brown, turban wearing Sikhs - represented as the good, loving, engaged and tender fathers they are.
Look for Hair Twins on May 4, 2021.
Every morning Papa combs through his daughter's waves like he does his own -- parting it down the middle, using coconut oil to get all the tangles out.
Some days he braids her hair in two twists down the side of her face. Other days he weaves it into one long braid hanging down her back, just like a unicorn tail.
It is such a joyful, happy, and beautiful celebration of hair and the bond between a daughter and a father. It is a book you want to (and will) hug when you’re done reading it. (Since I read a digital copy, I will have to wait until I buy a print copy to hug it for the first time.)
Raakhee Mirchandani: Hiya, Mr. Schu. I’m pretty amped to be here with you. Thanks for making space for me and for my new book. I’m so glad Hair Twins made you smile; that story is a song I’ve carried in my heart for some time now and it feels so special to share it with you. Speaking of hugs, when it’s safe, I can’t wait to hug you! But for now, we’ll all stay distanced and masked.
Raakhee Mirchandani: Hiya, Mr. Schu. I’m pretty amped to be here with you. Thanks for making space for me and for my new book. I’m so glad Hair Twins made you smile; that story is a song I’ve carried in my heart for some time now and it feels so special to share it with you. Speaking of hugs, when it’s safe, I can’t wait to hug you! But for now, we’ll all stay distanced and masked.
Design Credit: Neil Swaab
What ran through your heart the first time you saw Holly Hatam’s finished illustrations for Hair Twins?
RM: I’m a huge Holly fan; friends who are reading this have likely received Dear, Girl from me for themselves or their littles. Holly’s art is a realized dream, not just mine, but for a lot of families that believe, look, sound and live like mine. I guess I don’t know what ran through my mind when I first saw the art, but whatever it was, it was steeped in gratitude for this chance to honor my community with art as thoughtful, beautiful and delightful as Holly’s.
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RM: 10 words? What a challenge! Wait, don’t count those. Here I go:
A Sikh family celebrates love, tradition, belonging and Zombie races.
Well done!!! :)
Did you know that my husband is a turban wearing Sikh and my daughter’s hair is just like the daughter in Hair Twins?
Hair Twins’ endpapers are the wallpaper I wish I had in my apartment.
Story is the joy in my heart, everytime I went to the library as a child, finding bits of myself in Ramona and Nancy, Harriet and Pippi. Story has become the joy in my heart I’m eager to share with others, Super Satya Saves the Day, Hair Twins and others, still to come. Story is the deep thrill I feel knowing that my books now sit alongside Ramona and Nancy, Harriet and Pippi, waiting for other eager readers to find bits of themselves somewhere between the pages.
Mr. Schu, you should have asked me about why I wrote Hair Twins! This book is a celebration of the special, universal bond between fathers and daughters, inspired by both my relationship with my papa and my daughter’s relationship with my husband. I especially love seeing dads like my husband - tall, hot, brown, turban wearing Sikhs - represented as the good, loving, engaged and tender fathers they are.
Look for Hair Twins on May 4, 2021.
Little, Brown's Description:
A charming story about the special hair bond between a Sikh father and daughter as they boldly celebrate and proudly share their family tradition.
Some days he braids her hair in two twists down the side of her face. Other days he weaves it into one long braid hanging down her back, just like a unicorn tail.
But her favorite style is when he combs her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, just like the joora he wears every day under his turban. They call this their hair twin look!
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