Great book, but I have some regrets featuring it in a story time. ( )

I have always loved reading this book as a kid with my parents. I actually used this book for a project my sophomore year of college. This story is about a girl named Stephanie and each day she wears her hair in a ponytail and all the kids in her class wears the same ponytail in their hair. The parts that I found to be most amusing as a kid was seeing the boys wear their hair in a pony tail as well. She changes her hair style so the kids won't look the same as her but in the end she decides that she will keep her hair the original style that she chose the first time. ( )

Stephanie's classmates begin to copy her hairstyle in this amusing picture-book romp from Canadian author/illustrator team Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko. When she wears her ponytail at the back, so do they. When she wears it at the top, so do they. Eventually both boys and girls - as well as the teacher! - are copying Stephanie. But will they continue to do so, when she tells them she intends to shave her head...?

Munsch and Martchenko have collaborated on quite a few beloved Canadian picture-books, from Love You Forever to The Paper Bag Princess, and they are a winning team! Stephanie's Ponytail offers a humorous look at imitation and individuality, pairing a matter-of-factly madcap tale with immensely droll artwork. Recommended to fellow fans of this creative picture-book team, and to anyone looking for children's stories about conformity vs. individuality, trend-setting vs. imitation. ( )

Stephanie decides on her own when she wants a ponytail and where it's positioned. Even after her mother and peers at school questioned her decisions, she sticks to what she wants.

This story is all about learning to be yourself. Stephanie asks her mom to do her hair in several crazy ways. Whenever she goes to school, all of the other kids make fun of her hair and tell her how crazy it looks. However, Stephanie goes back to school the next day and all of the kids copy her hair-do. She learns that it is her hair and she can do whatever she wants with it.
Ages: 3-6 years
Source: Sumner Pierce Library