• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Baby + Toddler (0-2)
  • Pre-K (3-5)
  • Beginning Readers (6-7)
  • Growing Readers (7-9)
  • Tweens (10-12)
Happily Ever Elephants
Happily Ever Elephants

Happily Ever Elephants

The Best Kids Books Found Here!

  • Home
  • Book Lists
  • Winter Books!
  • About
  • Home
  • Baby + Toddler (0-2)
  • Pre-K (3-5)
  • Beginning Readers (6-7)
  • Growing Readers (7-9)
  • Tweens (10-12)
Books by Theme » Own Voices » Crown, An Ode to the Fresh Cut, by Derrick Barnes

Crown, An Ode to the Fresh Cut, by Derrick Barnes

By Lauren Bercuson ·  Published: Dec 8, 2017 ·  Modified: May 26, 2021 ·  This post may contain affiliate links


crown.jpg

This book blew me away on the first read through, with its striking illustrations, its fabulous pacing, and its breathtakingly phenomenal voice.  Wow.   Crown, An Ode to the Fresh Cut, written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon James, was a window book like none other, a story about a young African-American boy who goes to the barbershop to get a haircut and walks out feeling like a million dollars.   I remember being a young kid and sitting down in the hairstylist’s chair vividly, but my experiences were wholly different then the one described in this vibrant story.  As a child, I cried every time I looked into the mirror at the end of my cut when I was struck with a horrible realization: my hair was not long, not blonde and certainly not straight like Rapunzel’s. Instead, it was mousy brown and more akin to Medusa than any Disney princess, with thin ringlets bouncing like a halo all around my little head.  But this book, to think of how amazing this child felt every time he went to the barber – it was so poignant and immediately brought tears to my eyes.

In Crown, a boy walks into the barbershop.  He saunters in “as a lump of clay, a blank canvas.”  But when the man has finished the cut, the boy looks so fly, “they’ll want to post [him] up in a museum.”  The story moves seamlessly through the child’s experience as the man drapes him like a king with a cape and then single handedly transforms him — and his confidence — with a new hairdo.

Crown is an absolute force.  It firmly grounds the reader in the setting, right in the center of all that magic, where children become royalty alongside the other men visiting the shop that day. From the very first page, the very first sentence, Barnes transports the reader right into that barbershop culture through vivid details that come to life with brilliant authenticity. It is a celebration of self-confidence and self-worth, a beautiful window into a snippet of a boy’s day that transforms him and makes him feel recognized and powerful.  The voice, the word choice, the rhythm – it’s all astonishingly perfect. Crown is a powerful read that should be in every classroom and every library around the country — and in your homes too. An eye opener, a winner, a joy.  Two trunks up!

RELATED: Looking for more books that celebrate our beautiful, diverse word? Check out these incredible diverse books for children!

Want a copy? Get it here: Crown, by Derrick Barnes. HEE received a review copy from the publisher, but all opinions expressed herein are entirely our own.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

5+

« Previous PostAfter the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again), by Dan Santat
Next Post »UNDER THE COVER with Ariel Bernstein

OTHER POSTS YOU MAY LIKE:

  • 5+

    Get Ready for School with THE KING OF KINDERGARTEN, by Derrick Barnes

Never Miss a Happily Ever Elephants Newsletter!

Join our community and discover 28 Unforgettable Books to Make Storytime Magical and Meaningful.

Thank you for subscribing!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Happily Ever Elephants!

Lauren

Hi! I’m Lauren. I’m a boy mom, former attorney, current elementary school librarian, and moderator of book clubs for kids around the country. My goal is to make storytime with your children both magical and meaningful. Welcome! LEARN MORE 

AS FEATURED IN

Good Housekeeping

Winter Books!

10+ Valentine’s Day Books for Kids!

The Cutest Children’s Books About Penguins

The Best Lunar New Year Read-Aloud Books!

The Best New Year Read-Alouds

SEE ALL WINTER BOOKS!

Popular Posts

kindergarten-read-alouds

These Kindergarten Read Alouds Will Wow Kids!

The covers of 9 of the best books for 10 year olds.

The Best Books for 10-Year-Olds To Excite Your Kids!

The cover of Gossie with some rubber ducks, a great book for 2 year olds.

The Best Books for 2-Year-Olds Your Reader Will Love!

beginning-reader-books

The Ultimate List of the Best Books for Beginning Readers!

JOIN OUR BOOK CLUB

Browse by Age

BABY + TODDLER (0-2)
PRE-K (3-5)
BEGINNING READER (6-7)
GROWING READER (7-9)
TWEENS (10-12)

before footer form

Don't Miss a Book!

Join our community and discover 28 Unforgettable Books to Make Storytime Magical and Meaningful.

Thank you for subscribing!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Make Storytime Magical and Meaningful with these 28 Unforgettable Books! DOWNLOAD

browse by age!

0-23-45+6-77-910-12

Looking to help your child develop their social and emotional skills?

Download our 8 Week Guide!

Suggested Grade Level: Pre-K - 3rd DOWNLOAD NOW

Archives

  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • October 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016

Categories

  • 0-2
  • 10-12
  • 3-4
  • 5+
  • 6-7
  • 7-9
  • All Book Lists
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bullying
  • Award Winners
  • Back to School
  • Bedtime
  • Black Children's Books
  • Combat Bias
  • Concept Books
  • Confidence
  • Diversity
  • Emotions
  • Empathy
  • Fall Books
  • Family
  • Featured Books by Age
  • Featured Books by Theme
  • Featured Children's Book Reviews
  • Friendship
  • Funny
  • Growth Mindset
  • Halloween
  • Holidays
  • Imagination
  • Interactive
  • Jewish Books
  • LGBQT
  • Life Skills
  • Life Transitions
  • Non Fiction
  • Own Voices
  • Playing Preschool Book Lists
  • Popular Posts
  • Raising Readers
  • Social Justice
  • Special Interests & Hobbies
  • Spring Books
  • STEM
  • Summer Books
  • Thanksgiving
  • Uncategorized
  • Winter books
  • Winter Holidays
  • Wordless

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Join 70k+ Instagram Followers

Find even more great book recommendations with the @happily.ever.elephants Instagram community!
Join more than 70k+ parents for more tips, recommendations and reviews.

Footer

Don’t miss a single book.

Join our community and discover 28 Unforgettable Books to Make Storytime Magical and Meaningful.

Thank you for subscribing!

Buy the Books

The best virtual book clubs for kids. Why read alone when we can read together?

JOIN NOW!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 ·  Happily Ever Elephants LLC ·  Review Policies & Disclosures ·  Accessibility ·  Website by Anchored Design

0 shares