My family lives with many Native Americans in our area, so it’s a common site for my kids to notice that the boys (and men) generally grow their hair long, and often wear it with a single braid down the backs. It looks nice and is widely respected here. But things may not be as clear elsewhere.

So I think this book, Brave by Weshoyot Alvitre, offers insights and encouragement to boys who want to be brave enough to wear their hair long — to honor their traditions, identity, and the deeper meanings of what it is to be brave, and to be a “brave.” The book tells of the boy communicating his concerns to his parents, as they interact and explain, just as I hope my children will do when confronted with ignorant or cruel pushback from their peers outside the home. The boy acts bravely, too, sharing a strong example with readers (my kids seemed impressed!).

The text is well-written and compelling, creating momentum to the simple story. The illustrations are lovely, often blending with lovely panoramas with the regular characters’ storyline, alongside smaller, cartoony illustrations. Combined, the three levels of illustration cleverly offer background and context. This would be an ideal book for any children’s library, but most especially for anywhere Native Americans and American immigrants (i.e., all of the rest of us) live side by side.