A stunningly encouraging story your family will love. We get to join Zara’s story as she celebrates the locs that make her uniquely her. During her day she notices people that stare and some that give her some smiles. She continues to hold her head high and show how proud she is of her hair and the confidence it brings her. I love that the story encourages self-love and finding your own confidence. It is so uplifting and shows our little ones that they can be they can love themselves and be proud of the little things that make them who they are. This is a great story to share as a family. A beautiful story with vibrant illustrations that is truly an amazing message for little ones.

What a beautiful book! I will always read and share a story about Black girls’ hair and its importance, beauty, and significance. This book is appropriate for all ages, races, and genders and gives a helpful story to the importance of respecting body autonomy of ourselves and others!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC! A fun story highlighting differences among kids and the importance of embracing what you have! The bright illustrations are very eye catching- simple yet detailed at the same time. A great story of showing how to be confident with yourself which I really liked!

Similar to "Loc'd His Story", this book follows a girl who's proud of her hair and its uniqueness. I enjoyed how in this book, Zara's peers compliment her hair and take notice of it. But much like with Jaden's story, I wish there was more to the book than just talking about how the child loves and celebrates their individuality and their hair. Had the author given more thought to creating an arc in the story with actual plot and something happening along the way, it might have been more engaging. I do believe though that the author has done a good job at rhyming the lines and the illustrator's skills truly shine through in the beautiful artwork.

This is an adorable picture book about confidence and a girl finding that with her locs.

It would be a great addition to an SEL collection, some school libraries, and some personal collections.

While it is cute, there is a quality feel to it that does not make me want to order it for my library. I have some beautiful books that cover the same topic and similar topics but feel a little less like the SEL lesson is the point. I would, however, recommend it for my school counselor.

Thank you to Net Galley and Books Go Social for the DRC! All opinions are my own.

This book was so sweet. I love that we're getting more books for children that show other cultures and ethnicities. They also help kids learn about others, so that nobody feels ostracized or different.

Let ne start by saying that the illustrations are so well done in this book. I love how it shows Zara's hair.
I think the author does a wonderful job of showing how confident Zara and the questions at the end of the book will provide a great start to some important conversations.

I'm not an own voices reviewer, but as a teacher, I think this is a great picture book to share with children. The text rhymes and flows smoothly and I believe it will keep a young child's attention when read aloud. The illustrations are well done and very cute. There is a set of discussion questions at the back of the book that I think can be helpful for parents thinking of ways to extend the read at home. The discussion questions also could help educators use this book in the classroom. Yates has also written the boy version of this book that I liked as well!

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. This was a lovely lyrical tale with a great rhyme scheme and gorgeous illustrations. The messages about individuality and pride are so strong and compelling, and the main character Zara's journey is happening at a great pace. I would have loved a line or two about why locs *specifically* are so significant - to really show why this story of pride is important (beyond embracing something about herself that is just different than her classmates, Zara is also showing pride for a very important cultural history when she embraces her locs.)

I saw that there is also a boy's version of this story, which I will definitely be checking out next! I think that one is first to this companion read.

This bright and gorgeous children's book celebrates locs and individuality, and offers lots of conversation starters at the end that help nurture self-awareness, emotional maturity, and identity. The rhyme made it pleasant to read out loud. I absolutely loved the bead illustrations at the start and end too. Fantastic book for all of your little ones.

This is such a lovely story about uniqueness and embracing yourself! Whether you are purchasing because it relates specifically to you and your own children, or to just show the diversity in the world around us, this story is nothing but positivity in accepting everyone’s differences

Oh, my goodness, Loc’d Her Story is just precious! From the first page, the bright, colorful illustrations grabbed my attention and made me smile. Every page is filled with positivity, celebrating identity, self-love, and the beauty of being yourself. The words are so inspiring—they make young girls feel proud and hopeful, as if they can do anything. This book helps kids embrace what makes them unique and shows them that those traits are their superpowers—how amazing is that?

The discussion prompts at the end are a wonderful touch! They encourage important conversations about confidence, diversity, and acceptance. Whether you’re reading it at home, in a classroom, or preparing kids for a big moment like starting school, these prompts are perfect for sparking meaningful chats with young readers.

Loc’d Her Story is a must-read if you want a book that’s not only inspiring but also uplifting and full of positive messages. It’s a joyful reminder of how our differences make the world a better place. I can’t recommend it enough—this is a book that families and classrooms will love!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

"My locs are my story, my spark, and my might!"

What a beautiful book!! This was such a good story about being confident in who you are and sharing your individuality with your peers, even if you stand out! I love the care the author and the illustrator use in making sure the story feels authentic and empowering and they do such a good job. Just like with "Loc'd His Story", I loved the discussion questions that are included in the back of the story. As a future children's therapist, I am looking forward to adding these stories to my collection to use with my future clients.

Such a cute story about self esteem and standing out. I also loved the art work, everything was beautiful. Would love to read more from the author

After checking out Loc'd His Story, I was so excited to see its companion book! Just like Loc'd His Story, this is an adorably written and illustrated story of Zara and her beautiful locs! As she goes through her school day, we see her confidence, excitement, and intelligence -- all enhanced by the way her locs make her feel.

I will say I did enjoy this book a little more than the first, because I feel it does a better job of showing how Zara deals with others' opinions of her hair (all the while without taking focus away from her.) Instead of allowing in any insecurity or self-doubt at her classmate's comments, she simply flaunts her hair with pride! When another student admires her hair, Zara is even kind enough to share one of her beads.

Also, the discussion questions in the back are perfect for fostering conversations about pride, self-esteem, and building friendships.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

My 4 and 6 year old daughters loved this book about a little girl who is proud of her locs. She goes to school and succeeds in school socially and academically.

Brightly illustrated, rhythmic rhymes throughout the story.
Zara has a day at school with no negative comments about her hair and positive interactions with the other children; nothing knocks her confidence and she is fully certain her hair is beautiful throughout.
The prose is consistently joyful and matches the bounce of the illustrations.

I am grateful to Stephanie Yates, BookGoSocial, and Netgalley for the Digital Reader Copy I received. Read on for my review of the book.

Having read Loc’d His Story, I was interested to see if, and how, Loc’d Her Story differed in its content. Again, I can’t fault the cuteness of the story, and the happy-go-lucky, bouncing rhymes that insight joy. However, I failed to see the importance of the locs. Sure, classmates remarked on the way they looked, and the narrator makes reference to this bouncing style, but what was the point? What is the message in the story? It was not wholly obvious to me that it was about individuality and self-esteem until I reached the discussion questions at the end. My overarching assessment of Loc’d His Story was that ‘with so few books out there that celebrate Black hair, and Black culture, this book could have used the rhymes to focus on the whole person, not just the hair.’ My overarching story of this book is that with so few books out there that celebrate Black hair, and Black culture, this book could have used the rhymes to focus on the significance of Zara’s hair, and not just her as a person.

As with Loc’s His Story, the pictures are great and are in the same style; vibrant, cartoony, complimentary of the text, simple in design but detailed in texture. However, I missed seeing the locs styled differently throughout the day and taking on more of a life of their own. Whilst the book demonstrated stereotypical reactions to Zara’s hair that are standard of inquisitive children, I did not feel that a satisfactory response was provided. Why were the locs any more confidence boosting than being blonde, or having curly hair, or short hair, or long.

Rich in text and pictures, this book would especially appeal to a young Global Majority or mixed heritage reader. It might also suit caregivers wanting to add diversity to their child’s library, or as a device for introducing the subject of racial diversity to very young readers in terms of how and why people look different. However, it would be up to said caregiver to fill in the gaps the book leaves and highlight any points they want to get across to the child(ren) to whom they are reading.

Join Zara on a joyful journey as she embraces her beautiful locs and the confidence they bring her.

From the moment she wakes up, Zara knows that her locs are more than just hair—they’re her crown, her identity, and her pride. As she skips through her day, facing both curious glances and admiring smiles, Zara shows that self-love and confidence come from within. This uplifting story celebrates individuality, self-esteem, and the beauty of embracing who you are, inside and out.

As the designated librarian and curator for my family, I often find myself initiating libraries and selecting a variety of books for my loved ones. I particularly cherish creating libraries for the young ones and am naturally attracted to narratives that feature Black characters of various skin tones and hairstyles. I was excited about this book, which showcased a young girl with locs—a rarity in children's literature. The illustrations were striking and the tale endearing, yet I yearned for deeper exploration into the significance of her locs, considering their varied cultural and religious meanings. Nonetheless, I appreciated the discussion questions included at the end, as they provide a starting point for readers unfamiliar with initiating dialogue about the book's themes. Overall, my impression of the book remains favorable.

This is a really nice book with some positive messaging for kids.

The story was well written and easy to follow and my daughter enjoyed it.

The illustrations in the book work well with the story and help to bring it all together.

A really nice book - it is 4 stars from me - highly recommended!