Oshún and Me: A Story of Love and Braids - by Adiba Nelson (Hardcover)

About the Book

In this warm, joyful debut picture book, a little girl learns about her Afro Latin heritage as her mom braids her hair with cowrie shells.

Book Synopsis

Tenderly illustrated by Alleanna Harris, Adiba Nelson's debut picture book Oshún and Me is a heartwarming ode to family, identity, and the beauty of braided hair. Also available in Spanish!

It's Sunday, and that means it's Hair Day! As Mami weaves gold and cowrie shells into Yadira's hair, she tells her the story of the goddess Oshún, showing Yadi how her Afro Latin heritage is lovingly tucked into each braid and shell.

The next day, Yadi arrives for her first day at a new school. She's nervous about making friends, but with her beautiful braids, the click-clack of the cowrie shells, and a little guidance from Oshún, she finds she has everything she needs to be her best, most authentic self.

A letter from the author and visual examples of different kinds of braided hairstyles are included in the back of the book.

Review Quotes

★ "Warm is the best description for Harris' palette, which captures a wide range of sumptuous brown skin tones, illuminates everything from edge combs to mobility aids (Yadira uses a wheelchair and a walker), and fills each spread with radiant yellows. Complementing the art, Nelson's text draws from deep cultural roots to enrich the everyday intimacy of wash day and fuel the sparks of community connection. ... Pure, unadulterated joy." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About the Author

Adiba Nelson is the author of Ain't That A Mother, the memoir that Essence, Bustle, and Shondaland all hailed as a "must read," and subject of the Emmy winning documentary, The Full Nelson. She is also a retired performer, disability rights advocate/activist, freelance journalist and very tired mom. Oshún and Me: A Story of Love and Braids is her picture book debut.

Alleanna Harris has been drawing for as long as she can remember. As a little kid, she would draw on every page of her mom's legal pads, her notebooks at school, and on the programs at church. She lives in New Jersey, and is the illustrator of multiple books for children. She is also the illustrator of All the Greatness in You, written by Tameka Fryer Brown.