Aaron's Hair - Softcover

Born in Pittsburgh in 1945, Robert Munsch actually studied for the priesthood for seven years before attending Boston University and getting a degree in teaching. While training for the priesthood, Robert worked at an orphanage, where he realized that he loved working with kids, so he decided to work in daycare instead. That is where he realized his knack for storytelling—he would tell the kids stories before naptime. His boss convinced him to publish his stories, which allowed Robert to quit his job and become a full-time writer. Today, Robert and his family live in Canada.

The creators of Get Out of Bed! here offer a rather rootless tale about what happens when a boy, frustrated with his unruly tresses, yells, "Hair, I hate you!" The phrase becomes a refrain as Aaron's hair, its feelings hurt, jumps off his head and affixes itself to various people's body parts, beginning with the head of his baby sibling and including a woman's navel and a man's behind, and finally proceeds to a policeman who can't see to direct traffic when the hair flies onto his face. When each victim yells, "Hair, I hate you!" the hair heads on its way. Though this repetitive refrain and the story's broad humor may attract a few kids, most will find this feckless fare. The illustrators exploit the tale's outlandish visual potential to the level of slapstick sitcom, creating cartoon-style watercolors of Aaron's 1960s-holdover family as well as a Deadhead motorcyclist and a hippie on inline skates. Far from one of this storyteller's glossiest performances. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.