I thought this story was just ok. It does a really good job about identifying the girl's anxieties about her mom going back to work as a hairdresser. I know that it was meant to use humor to handle the situation, but I think that if a child read this that was seriously worried about their parent going back to work in the pandemic, it would give them more anxiety to know that it was not a real possible solution. I think the book should have said how the mom can really try to be safe, or more seriously address the appropriate things people can do if they are out and about. Because of this, I would not recommend this book to a child unless I was confident they could distingush between the two.

<i> Lockdown Hair </i> follows Siona, the daughter of a hairdresser, as she adjusts to the Covid-19 lockdown and brainstorms ways to keep her mother safe as she returns to work in person (with ideas like: a really long comb, having the client wash their own hair, cutting the hair with giant scissors). The illustrations are imaginative watercolor scenes, and the overall message encourages students to stay safe and advocate for what they believe in. I particularly liked the Greta Thunberg quote at the end:

<b> "No one is too small to make a difference." </b>

After the story there are "Discussion and Comprehension" questions to encourage children to engage with the story and discuss the content (i.e. how many face masks did you count, do you want to share a time you felt scared/sad like the main character, how can we stay safe during lockdown, etc.)

*I received an electronic ARC of this book from Net Galley*

This was an adorable read! Highly recommend it for children, especially during Covid. The basis of the book was that Siona is concerned for her mother’s hair salon eventually reopening and is brainstorming ways her mother can be safe and distant from her customers. It is an adorable story and would be great to read to children.
Now I gave this 5 stars because the story was adorable, but mostly because the artwork was so beautiful! The artwork is breathtaking and the illustrator Alexandra Rusu is wonderful and I hope I can see more of her work. Definitely recommend this book, especially because of the artwork.

This was a timely book showing kids how creativity isn't restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic. My kids and I laughed as we saw the creative and silly ways the main character troubleshooted how to keep her mom's salon customers safe. This was lighthearted but definitely also opened the door for conversation with my young children (ages 6 and 3).

~ Thanks to NetGalley and Bound to Canoe Tree Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review ~

Harmless fun that I think both parents and children would have fun reading. Although I have to say I'm glad my hair won't be styled this way! The main issue I've had when reading material aimed at children regarding Covid is that there's a fine line between explaining something and being condescending. I think that "Lockdown Hair" is one of the better examples of how to balance such a heavy topic for little ones who might not fully understand what's going on in the world around them. I'm not going to give away Siona's solution to her mum's problem running her hair salon, but I will admit that her parents being 100% supportive had me mildly concerned for her clients... until I saw the final image, which left me cracking up - it might not be realistic but it was definitely done well.

This story is adorable. It has funny moments, but it also helps address some real fears our children are having during this pandemic right now. It also teaches creativity, to think outside of the box, and that even when they are young, they can make a difference. It’s a very cute story!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#LockdownHair #NetGalley

Cute book with beautiful illustrations. Although it showcases creativity with the main character, I feel so many kids are exhausted hearing about this same process over and over.

Lockdown Hair by Linda Steinbock is a timely tale of a child trying to help her mother come up with ideas to get her beauty salon business safely reopened during the pandemic. The story is cute with illustrations that are bright and well done. The topic is obviously timely but not all of it sounds like something a child would say and may read a little older than it’s intended audience because of that. However, the discussion questions at the end of the book try to make it more accessible for the long haul and it could generate some good conversations. I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book was really cute. I love reading books written during and about the pandemic. I liked the creative ideas from the daughter and I liked that her parents were encouraging about her being an inventor. I liked that the characters were diverse and the illustrations were really cute. I liked that it had relatable content, like video calls with grandma. Thanks for providing this fun book!

*thank you to Netgalley, Canoe Tree Press and Linda Steinbock for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


4 stars

I'd read reviews of people saying this was rather funny so I wanted to give it a shot because, these days, we could all use a little humour. But I'd started it and a few pages in I was getting a little worried because it was more on the serious side. But about half way through, I was laughing. It was so cute and adorable, the only way a little kid can be when trying to tackle a problem.

The beautiful watercolour illustrations are really well done and just stunning.

I highly recommend this picture book as a covid book for all readers or just as a book for a few giggles.

Such a charming book about weird hair during COVID, and one stylist’s creative social distancing ideas for her salon. Told from the POV of her darling daughter. Will give chuckles and joy to any reader!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 02 Mar 2021
#LockdownHair #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Canoe Tree Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

I thought this was a very sweet and relevant book. The watercolor illustrations were beautiful. Raising kids during this pandemic has been hard so it's nice to have something like this book to share with them and facilitate discussions about what we are all experiencing and feeling.

This book does a great job of explaining to children the steps that must be taken to keep people healthy and safe! Coronavirus precautions are no match for Siona, who comes up with solutions to six different aspects of her mother's job as a hairdresser so that she can get back to work. Such a great book for children who are struggling to understand why social distancing is so important!

Siona is in lockdown with her family. Her mother is a hairstylist and can't work at the moment. After a virtual call to her Grandma and seeing her hair in disorder. They talk about when her mum can go back to work. Siona takes to coming up with ideas for her mum to stay safe with her clients. Drawing out illustrations on how to do just that.

A current events story that gets a child to problem solve and care about other's safety.

This was honestly just such an adorable way to normalise the current situation. It makes it a more lighthearted approach in order to be accessible to children. If I was currently a mum I would absolutely be reading this one with my little ones. The art is cute, the characters are fun, the plot is current, its just a chill and sweet lil story

This is a cute little book with plenty of hilarious moments.

Siona is worried about her mother going back to work at her hair salon. At the same time, she also sees her grandmother's wild hair on a video call and realises that hair cuts are needed while her mum needs to maintain safety too. So she comes up with some clever little solutions to help her mum and the salon clients.

The book isn't too serious and it will help children find some light moments in the pandemic. It teaches them the importance of safety as well as the value of thinking around the problem. The illustrations are really cute.

I read this with my little one and was happy to hear her loud giggles at some of Siona's innovative solutions.

This is a cute book about explaining how to keep safe from Covid, while still being a hairdresser.

It is written from a child's point of view, so some of her methods are a little impractical, but they are funny, and add a light touch to an otherwise depressing subject.

For example, to wash hair, she has her mother stand two meters apart, and throw a bucket of water at her clients head. To comb hair, she thinks her mother could use a rake with a long handle.

It is a light touch to someting that is quite serious, and that's ok.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. </em>

Lockdown Hair by Linda Steinbock offers a humorous and charming look at the way in which real families, particularly children, are affected by lockdown restrictions. While undeniably entertaining, the book will also serve as a conversation starter for families to address the many ways in which Covid has altered all of our lives, and provide some constructive solutions for children to channel their energy and creativity into something fun and positive. The illustrations are sure to raise some smiles, and will be relatable to most children at this stage of our global health crisis. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Canoe Tree Press for an ARC of this title.

This is a really cute book to help kids understand a little more about what we can or can’t do during the pandemic and a good visual for what social distancing looks like. I will note that the book uses the metric system so US parents or teachers would have to just change the meters to feet.

I loved this children's book about the COVID-19 pandemic. It addresses many of the issues we face living in lockdown or under quarantine. Siona misses her grandmother, and after speaking with her on a video call, she realizes that people suffer from "lockdown hair" since all the salons are closed. Her mother is a hairdresser, so Siona gets to work on a plan that would allow her mother to safely cut people's hair during the pandemic.

The book has many lessons, and at the end, it includes some discussion points to encourage understanding. I feel that this book is not only charming in its story and illustrations, but that it is also a great way to broach the topic of the pandemic, lockdowns and quarantine, and safe social distancing with children.

If I had children of the appropriate age during the pandemic, I would happily read this book with them. Hopefully, the pandemic will be a distant memory by the time my newborn daughter is old enough for a book like this one.

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Canoe Tree Publishing.