With a flawless delivery, Barnes and James’ book is a celebration of self-esteem and a thoughtful nod to the importance of stepping into the world with a touch of swagger.” The Huffington Post: Best Picture Books of 2017

“Crown captures that extra bounce in your step as confidence crackles from the top of your freshly-shorn head down through your feet. Accompanied by layered paintings that bounce back the beat of the words like the sweetest of jazz riffs, here’s an ode to looking good and feeling great.” Betsy Bird, NPR Book Concierge: Best Books of 2017 “With language so hot you expect the words to ignite the page, Derrick Barnes endows the boy at this book’s center with flash, strut, pizzazz and the pure unregulated pride of knowing you look like a million bucks. One of the best reads for young black boys in years, it should be in every library, media center, and, yes, barbershop.” Kirkus Reviews, starred review This book oozes with black cool and timely, much-needed black joy, using the unique and expansive experience of the barbershop to remind young boys that their inner lives have always mattered there. Named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR, the Huffington Post, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Horn Book Magazine, the News & Observer, BookPage, Chicago Public Library, and more Winner of the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Young ReadersĪ Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor BookĪn Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor BookĪ Society of Illustrators Gold Medal Book

Crown ode to the fresh cut