Frizzy Haired Zuzu

Frizzy Haired Zuzu is a children's picture book about accepting and loving your appearance.

Zuzu loves riding her bike and dancing to all kinds of music. Her curly red hair would bounce when she danced. But Zuzu hates her hair. The older she gets, the bigger it grows. With her sisters and mother, she tries several hilarious—yet disastrous—solutions to tame her frizzy hair. Finally she saves up all her money to visit a salon. But with straighter hair, will she still feel like herself? Zuzu must dig deep down to sort out her feelings about what is beautiful to others…and herself.

Medeia Sharif received her master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. She is a public school teacher and the author of Remembering Mom's Kubbat Halab.

She lives in Miami, Florida. Visit her websiteopens in new window and follow her on Instagramopens in new window.

Basma Hosam graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo. She has illustrated over 30 books, including Al Anatekh Kingdom which received the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature in 2022. She has worked with Oxford University for an Arabic language project and is also the author-illustrator of Something Searching for Himself.

She lives in Cairo, Egypt.

The book’s beautiful, sometimes whimsical cartoon illustrations skillfully depict the unsuccessful endeavors to reduce Zuzu’s hair volume and capture her emotions in response. The tale offers an important message—that kids should love and accept themselves wholeheartedly... joyful story of a girl coming to terms with her unique hair.
—Kirkus Reviews

Watch the author read Frizzy Haired Zuzuopens in new window. Interested in this book? Purchase a copy to continue (or start) the conversation with the children in your life.