Big Wig: A Little History of Hair

Krull, Kathleen. 2011. Big Wig: A little history of hair. Ill. by Peter Malone. New York: Arthur A. Levine.

From prehistoric times in Africa to England, 2007, Kathleen Krull presents a paragraph on many hair-related milestones in the history of the world,

2,400 Years Ago, Greece

Rubbing goat pee on his head.  That's how the wise philosopher Aristotle thinks he will cure his baldness.  But Hippocrates, known as the Father of Medicine, prefers his own brews, which include opium, wine, green olive oil, horseradish, and pigeon poop.

Each event is featured on a single or double spread page, accompanied by the amusingly detailed watercolors of Peter Malone. (Dorothy Hamill skating in front of an audience of Dorothy Hamill look-alikes; Cleopatra weaving horse teeth and roasted mice into Caesar's receding locks; a blue-faced, punk Celt, sporting a kilt and white spiked hair, they're all here in Big Wig)

The reader learns a bit of history while enjoying the ridiculousness that is mankind's never-ending obsession with hair.

Back matter includes a source list, and "Hair Extensions," which expands on each of the periods introduced in the book.  (Who knew that our current term for the extra bathroom, "powder room," came from 1624, France? Not me.)

As wig styles developed after Louis XIII, white became the favorite color.  The wealthy had their servants powder their wigs by blowing wheat flour with a bellows from the fireplace.  With flour going every which way, the French invented a new room - a powder room ... so they would have a place to powder without worrying about the mess.

The only milestone that I found missing in Big Wig was the wildly popular and risque "bobbed" haircut of the 1920s flapper girls.

Regardless of whether she chooses to present facts with humor or seriousness, Kathleen Krull always delivers education with entertainment.

Big Wig: A (highly styled) Little History of Hair. Comb your shelves for it today!

(sorry, couldn't resist the hair buns puns!)

Another review @ The Fourth Musketeer
Read BWI's recent interview with Kathleen Krull.

Today's Nonfiction Monday roundup is at Wrapped in Foil.

The Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, rebels (and what the neighbors thought)

Krull, Kathleen. Read by Melissa Hughes. The Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, rebels (and what the neighbors thought). Audio Bookshelf, LLC.

This is a short (about 2 hours) compilation of the lives of extraordinary women rulers from the distant past to the present and from the United States to the Far East. Chapters are divided into the lives of the women with a follow-up section titled "Ever After," in which the lasting impact of each ruler is discussed. This is a great introduction to many famous and not-so-famous women, and listeners should particularly enjoy the little-known facts, such as how often Elizabeth I bathed (not often!) and how Golda Meir was known to do wash by hand, and interrupt meetings to prepare snacks. This is not a book for the youngest J readers; many of the rulers' numerous and varied romantic habits and interests are discussed whenever relevant. This is a useful title for students not needing a full-fledged biography, yet wanting more than an encyclopedia might offer.

Melissa Hughes' reading was not captivating, but the story of these extraordinary women is!


Subjects covered are:
Cleopatra
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Joan of Arc
Isabella I
Elizabeth I
Nzingha
Catherine the Great
Marie Antoinette
Victoria
Harriet Tubman
Tz'u-hsi
Gertrude Bell
Jeannette Rankin
Eleanor Roosevelt
Golda Meir
Indira Gandhi
Eva Perón
Wilma Mankiller
Aung San Suu Kyi
Rigoberta Menchú