I’m Growing Great

In this follow-up to Happy Hair, Roe centers a serene child of color on every spread, each one showcasing a different hairstyle against backgrounds filled with simple graphic florals and foliage. Employing the closing refrain “I am growing each day,” the spreads also offer an uplifting, often nature-based couplet, presented in all caps: “REMEMBER MY NAME!/ NOTHING STAYS THE SAME!” one reads, with the closing line rendered in a smaller, lowercase font beneath. A dark brown–skinned child with long black waves and bright pink lips smiles beatifically beneath a starry headpiece, flowers and leaves surrounding them against a lavender background. Some couplets are less effective than others (“TRUE TO YOU,/ SWEET AS MORNING DEW!”), but this picture book’s affirmations offer a centering lilt for those in the throes of growth. Ages 3–7. (Jan.)