Bintou's Braids

I'm a second grade teacher and purchased, Bintou's Braids to enhance our study of Africa. All the students responded to the story. The background information and discussion suggestions opened up a meaningful dialogue that allowed students to connect personally with the text. Furthermore, the multicultural component provided students with background information about a culture/country unfamiliar to them.

In a heartwarming story that reflects on family and tradition, Bintou, a child, grows up in her West African village yearning to have long braids like the older girls, with seashells and coins attached in the ancestral tradition. Poor Bintou only has four little tufts of hair wrapped in colored string, nothing nearly as attractive as the older girls. Bintou's baby brother is soon to be baptized and given a name, so she greets her grandmother in the village the day before the feast. Thanks to her many years, Bintou's grandmother knows everything; when Bintou asks why she can't have braids, the grandmother relates the tale of Couma, a girl who had such braids with seashells and coins and thought of nothing but herself. The elders decided that little girls could only have corn rows, so that they would make friends, play and learn before worrying about such grownup things. Still, Bintou dreams at night of braids with coins and seashells. The day of the feast, Bintou escapes from the festivities for a while near the water's edge, where she hears cries for help; two boys are in danger of drowning. Taking a shortcut through the brambles, she tears loose two of her four tufts of hair, but finds help in time to save the boys. Promised a reward for her quick thinking, Bintou's older sister says, "She wants braids!" That night Bintou dreams a different dream, of yellow and blue birds nesting in her soft hair. The next morning, as her grandmother dresses her hair, she expects the usual corn rows; when Bintou looks in the mirror, a pretty girl stares back at her, hair sprinkled with blue and yellow birds. She is content to wait until she is grown for her braids. While speaking to the importance of family and reverence for tradition, this wonderful story also acknowledges a little girl's dream of growing up, only not too quickly. Surrounded by love and the wisdom of her extended family, Bintou is nurtured through the phases of childhood, perfect just as she is. The vivid illustrations portray Bintou's family in their West African village, the girl's imaginative dreamscapes, the world through the eyes of a child, a perfect match for a timeless tale. Luan Gaines/2006.

This is a classic in our family. We've had it for a couple years (starting when my daughter was 4?). It is very well written and enjoyable to read, partly because it's told in Bintou's voice. As a bonus- it's also a good book for instilling pride in a little girl's hair.

This is a beautifully illustrated book and a beautiful story with wonderful messages about bravery, what girls should focus on (playing and learning instead of vanity), wisdom of ancestors, adults honoring children's desires while also standing their ground and providing wise guidance. It's also a lovely way to learn a bit about West African people and customs. I recommend it highly.

my daughter (age 4) enjoys having this book read to her. I think it makes her feel proud of the braids she wears in her hair (which Bintou wants so desperately). Plus it's interesting because it takes place in Africa. And Bintou's pride in her own hair in the end is wonderful too. A great book.