The Wonder Wig by Dr. Shon Shree Lewis
This review first appeared on Reader Views. Read the Reader Views version here.
To impress a boy she likes, Brooke Bell sneaks one of her mom’s glorious wigs and wears it to school. At first, she gives off quite the impression, but then the wig slips off her head and all is lost. After school, she heads to her grandparents’ house where she is greeted with love and understanding. However, when she confesses to her mother that she took one of her mother’s wigs, her mother is upset not only by Brooke taking a wig without permission but because Brooke is growing up before her eyes. This causes a rift between Brooke and her mother.
As Brooke grows into a beautiful teenager, she becomes more and more interested in hair after working in her aunt’s salon. Soon, Brooke purchases a wonderful wig from her aunt and quickly discovers that it has magical powers that allow her to hear women and girls struggling with alopecia. Utilizing this power, as well as her own kindness, Brooke sets out on a mission to help all women and girls feel beautiful.
Dr. Shon Shree Lewis’s The Wonder Wig is sure to snag the eye of readers immediately with its dazzling cover. This visual engagement continues throughout the book with lovely illustrations that highlight key moments of the story. Although the illustrations could have been a bit more integrated into the text, they do a delightful job of keeping the story going.
Dr. Lewis has overall crafted a charming story of a girl growing up and learning to feel beautiful while also learning how to make others feel that way. The story deals with serious issues such as hair culture and alopecia. This can be a difficult task to balance, but Dr. Lewis does so deftly while creating a narrative appropriate for younger readers.
The characters in Dr. Lewis’s story are well-curated. While they all love Brooke, this does not mean that there is no conflict between them. Realistic family tensions emerge as Brooke tries to navigate growing up, especially with two hard-working—and thus sometimes absent—parents. This adds a welcome level of realism to a story that could easily not be grounded given it has some more fantastical elements.
Impeccable illustrative elements, immense charm, serious issues, a realistic cast of characters, and fantastical aspects combine to make The Wonder Wig a dazzling book.
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