Genre:

I have selected Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega for the graphic novel category. It also won the 2023 Pura Belpre Children's TextWinner Award.

Target Age Group:

The target age group is 9-12 years.

Summary:

    Frizzy, a graphic novel written by Claribel A. Ortega, is a playful yet somewhat serious story about a young Dominican girl, Maribel, in middle school who not only has a problem managing her hair but is also trying to find a way to accept herself for who she is. Maribel has unmanageable hair and her mother forces her to go to the local salon once a week. She feels she is being punished by having her hair straightened by the churlish hairdresser, Gleny. Maribel has to contend with hair management, annoying cousins, bullies at school, and her mom's persistence about the status of her hair. It leads her, with help from her best friend, Camilla and Maribel's Tia Ruby, to a revelatory sense about herself and the realization that her mom's sense of self was contentious as well.

Justification:

    When I was searching through various lists of graphic novels from the last ten years, the word frizzy in the title hit me like a ton of bricks. I have dealt with my extremely curly hair my entire life and it wasn't until my late twenties I truly accepted the state of my hair. The hair products that are available in today's world are magical. Where were they in 1975? Frizzy is a  middle grade novel that definitely would have offered me some hope as a young girl when it came to my hair management and a sense that I was not alone in this awkward and emotional quest to control my hair. 

Evaluation:

    For this review I will be evaluating point of view, plot, and the illustrations. The point of view of Maribel in Frizzy allows the readers to submerse themselves in the life of a middle schooler being distraught over the texture and management of her hair. Of course, this entertaining graphic novel is not just about Maribel's hair but the relationship she has with her mother. Mami, Maribel's mother, is a kind and loving single mother who has not dealt with some of the grief she has had in her life. Maribel, through her entanglement with her hair, manifests a wisdom and strength she is able to impart to her mother. 

    The author of Frizzy has produced a well-defined plot in this exciting story which asks the questions, will Maribel find a solution to managing her frizzy hair? Is this novel really about seeking the truth in Mami's persistence for Maribel and herself to have "good hair?" The text in combination with the illustrations offers an insight into the highs and lows of a young middle schooler's life. Frizzy has a tightly woven plot and the ending comes too quickly leaving the reader satisfied yet wanting to be a part of Maribel's life just a little while longer. 

    The illustrations of Frizzy by Rose Bousamra are full of warm and rich colors. The facial expressions on Maribel's face when the hairstylist is working on her hair show the reader what the text cannot convey. When Maribel is in art class at school, her artwork enables the reader to view the vibrancy of what Maribel wishes for what her hair and her life could hopefully turn out to be. Not only does Ms. Bousamra create pages of beautiful art, she also provides the readers a visual lesson by artistically demanding them to feel compassion for Maribel's predicament by the chaotic and complicated state of her hair.

Citation:

Ortega, C.A. (2022). Frizzy (R. Bousamra, Illus.). First Second Books.