Braided Roots: The interweaving of history, family, and a father's love [Hardcover]

Recipient of the American Indian Youth Literature Award Picture Book Honor

A stunning, poetic debut picture book from Pasha Westbrook about honoring ones roots and the unbreakable bond of familial love, brought to life with enchanting illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Madelyn Goodnight.

Father braids my hair, just like his,

scented of coconut oil, the familiar tug of fingers on my scalp,

love in every twist...

As a young girls father lovingly yet painstakingly braids her hair, he weaves a story about the strength and resilience of their ancestors, Freedmen who walked the Trail of Tears from Mississippi to Oklahoma.

In this enchanting picture book, past and present come together in a tale about endurance, history, and love. With beautiful, sweeping illustrations by Madelyn Goodnight and debut author Pasha Westbrook's lyrical writing,Braided Rootstenderly explores the unwavering love between a father and daughter.

Praise forBraided Roots:

Recipient of the American Indian Youth Literature Award Picture Book Honor

Lyrical...Flowing lines and dreamlike scenes in Goodnight's oil, colored pencil, and digital illustrations warmly capture the enduring presence and strength of ancestors...An empowering picture book about ties that bind. --Booklist

In rhythmic text thats rooted in family history and nature, Chickasaw and Choctaw Freedmen descendant Westbrook begins with an everyday ritual...Goodnights digitally finished oil and pencil illustrations effectively juxtapose scenes of the past and the present in a work that conveys how 'our hair is our history.' --Publisher's Weekly

The story resonates with the bond between a father and a daughter. --School Library Journal