Can I Touch Your Hair?

Irene Latham
Can I Touch Your Hair?

Can I Touch Your Hair?
ISBN: 9781512404425
Publication Date: 1 January 2018

How can Irene and Charles work together on their fifth grade poetry project? They don't know each other . . . and they're not sure they want to. Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is black, use this fictional setup to delve into different experiences of race in a relatable way, exploring such topics as hair, hobbies, and family dinners.

Accompanied by artwork from acclaimed illustrators Sean Qualls and Selina Alko (of The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage), this remarkable collaboration invites readers of all ages to join the dialogue by putting their own words to their experiences.

About the Authors

Irene Latham's passion for poetry started as soon as she could read and write, with Shel Silverstein and love poems crafted for her mother. Named Alabama State Poetry Society 2006 Poet of the Year, Irene has published poems for adults and children in anthologies, journals, and literary magazines. She is also the author of two award-winning novels for children: Leaving Gee's Bend and Don't Feed the Boy. Her collections of children's poetry include Dear Wandering Wildebeest, When the Sun Shines on Antarctica and Fresh Delicious. She lives with her husband and three sons in Birmingham, Alabama.

Charles Waters grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and currently works as a poet and actor. His poems for children have appeared in anthologies including One Minute Till Bedtime, and The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry. Charles conducts poetry performance workshops for elementary and middle school audiences across the nation, and he has performed in more than thirty states. He makes his home in New York City.