Erandi's Braids is a 1999 children's Picture Book, written by Antonio Hernandez Madrigal and illustrated by Tomie dePaola.
Tropes
- Intimate Hair Brushing: The book begins with Erandi waking up, and her mother brushing and braiding her hair. This is an Establishing Character Moment: Erandi and her mother are close, and they both take pride in her hair.
- Long Hair Is Feminine: Since Erandi is only 6, her mother is the one who brushes and braids her hair. Her mother takes great pride in Erandi's hair, perhaps more so than even Erandi herself.
- Meaningful Name: Erandi's name means "sunrise" in Tarascan, and it's important enough that it's included in the book's glossary.
- Selling One's Own Hair: Erandi is a little girl, on the brink of her 7th birthday, with thick hair down to her waist. When her mother needs money for a new fishing net, they head to the barber's shop. Erandi thinks her mother is about to sell Erandi's hair and is terrified. Actually, she tries to sell her own hair, but the barber says its not long enough. Erandi summons her courage and offers her own tresses. The book ends with an author's note about the context: in the 1940s and 50s, the hair of indigenous Tarascan women from Michoacán was specifically sought after. They have great hair genes, and also a culture which prizes hair long, making it more painful to part with it.A set of long, thick braids was the main source of feminine pride for the Tarascan women. The villagers believed that a stranger's scissors might cast an evil spell. Once the women sold their hair, they feared that it might become cursed and would never grow back. But financial hardship would often force them to sell it.
