Hair In Funny Places - Softcover

Cole, Babette

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099266261 ISBN 13: 9780099266266

Publisher: Red Fox, 2001

Synopsis

Girls and boys are always curious and sometimes even alarmed by the behaviour of their bodies as they grow up. Puberty being a particularly unsettling time, Babette Cole has made this the subject of the fifth title in her bestselling series of 'family dilemmas'. Who else but Babette would have the temerity to tackle this subject in a picture book and the genius to carry it off! In Hair in Funny Places her artwork is without exaggeration some of the best she has ever done: it is brilliant. The text takes the form of a conversation between a small girl and her teddy bear, and is ingenious and funny. It is the behaviour of Mr and Mrs Hormone (wonderfully depicted) which is responsible for and plays havoc with the physical and emotional states of girls and boys throughout puberty. This book is bound to be controversial but Babette has never taken the conventional path and her readers love her for her outrageous approach to little mentioned topics.

About this title

Review:

Babette Cole caused something of a stir when she published Mummy Laid an Egg: it was described by The Bookseller as: "Funny, factual and frank... a superb book... the ideal ice-breaker for parents". Dealing with the facts of life it was indeed an ingenious and ground-breaking book which perfectly combined explanations about sex with a wit and humour that tickled adults and informed the child.

In Hair in Funny Places Cole hits home again in a canny little volume which takes a sideways glance at what happens to the body when it is hit by puberty. Hilarious illustrations of Mr and Mrs Hormone wreaking their revenge on the body, mixing their "Essence of Pube" and making mischief in the unsuspecting bodies of boys and girls as they fight their way towards adulthood will certainly raise a smile. But it is the frankness and simplicity of the text that really bites, encouraging an understanding of one of the most difficult phases in a human being's life.

As in Mummy Laid an Egg Cole deals with the changes the body undergoes in a matter-of-fact way and without a hint of embarrassment, allowing the words to tell the story while the crafty and comical illustrations run riot through the book to conjure up unforgettable images of the human body at its most vulnerable and confused.

An absolute gem that will have parents everywhere breathing a sigh of relief, Hair in Funny Places crosses the divide between picture book for the very young and informative light relief the older child, and is an absolute must-have for anyone pondering the progress of puberty. (Age 6 and over) --Susan Harrison

Review:

"Classic picture book dealing with puberty" (Sunday Express)

About this edition

• Publisher: Red Fox
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0099266261
• ISBN 13: 9780099266266
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32