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Cooke, Trish

The Magic Callaloo

32 pp. | Candlewick | September, 2024 | Trade ISBN 9781536235579 $18.99
(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Bass. Lou, a girl born from a wish on the leaves of a magical callaloo plant, is kidnapped by a wicked man. He forces her to do manual labor and cuts her magical hair short, though it always grows back “thicker and longer than before.” When a wise woman visits and braids Lou’s hair, she also gives Lou an escape route. Intricate, brilliant gouache illustrations bring this inventive story to life; an author’s note explains that the story is inspired by Rapunzel and tales of enslaved people’s use of cornrow braid patterns as maps to freedom.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

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