When Dad's hair took off by Jorg Muhle

Gecko Press's books are always unique. Not always something that will appeal to my audience, but always something different. They've recently done a handful of quirky, hilarious chapter books that have, I think, fairly wide appeal and this falls into that category.

Dad, a white man with a quiff of brown hair, opens the story looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, having just finished brushing his hair. A few brief sentences explain that "Dad's hair was sick of being brushed and combed." So, it takes off. On the next page a bald Dad, small hairs radiating around him like confetti, shrieks out "Horrors!" the word blazoned on a yellow facing page. The rest of the story plays out the joke, with Dad, adding a blue bathrobe to his ensemble, chasing his hair through increasingly convoluted and weird situations. Finally, he gives up, resigned to growing a beard and "all the other hair that nobody needs-in his ears and nose for example." He glares at the postcards his hair sends from other countries but finally, one stormy day, his hair returns and the story ends with a dad-worthy pun.

The deadpan delivery of the brief sentences and goofy cartoons make this a silly story that will appeal to a wide audience. It will probably fit best in beginning chapter collections, due to it's length, but I'd also recommend it as a read-aloud and a quick, funny read for kids (and adults) who want a laugh.

Verdict: This is the kind of quirky book that is not necessarily a classic, but will stick in kids' heads as a favorite childhood read-aloud. Fortunately, it should be fairly easy to track down when it starts showing up in stumpers ten years down the road! Recommended.

ISBN: 9781776575206; Published September 2023 by Gecko Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library