Eva and Sadie and the Worst Haircut Ever!

by Jeff Cohen, Elanna Allen (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet Eva and Sadie in debut picture book author Jeff Cohen's Eva and Sadie and the Worst Haircut EVER! The book was inspired by the viral recording of NPR reporter Jeff interviewing his two little girls explaining the worst haircut ever. When big sister Sadie notices Eva's hair is just too long and getting out of control, she decides to take matters into her own hands. When the haircut is over and there's a pile of hair on the floor, Sadie realizes she may have done something wrong. What will Eva and Sadie's parents say? Will they be able to fix the worst haircut ever? With beautiful illustrations from Elanna Allen, young readers will love reading a story based on a real-life sister act! In the same vein as Fancy Nancy, the fun and creativity of sibling relationships shine through in this sweet tale of cutting hair and learning lessons.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062249067
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/03/2014
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jeff Cohen has been a reporter since 2001, first in newspapers and now at public radio station WNPR in Hartford. A proud New Orleans native, he lives in Connecticut with his wife, two daughters, and their cats.

Elanna Allen graduated from Brown University and studied animation and illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has designed characters and directed animation for Playhouse Disney, Nick Jr., and PBS. She lives in New York City with her husband and two boys, and is currently trying to learn to play the ukulele.

Editorial Reviews

04/21/2014
With the authority that only a big sister can have, Sadie has decided that her younger sister’s Eva’s Rapunzel-like tresses are “too long, too curly, and way too MUCH.” Taking matters and scissors into her own hands, she gives Eva her first haircut—and, of course, it goes “terribly wrong” (although, as portrayed, it’s short but not exactly horrifying). But while the girls’ parents briefly “lose their cool,” it is only hair, and the repair haircut is downright stylish. “ow that Eva’s hair is short, we can’t imagine it any other way,” says Sadie. Allen (Itsy Mitsy Runs Away) has fun giving Eva’s hair a life of its own—one of her pre-haircut ’dos is worthy of the 18th-century French court, and Sadie asks the fateful question, “Do you want a haircut?” while peering from the dense, blonde depths of her sister’s curls. But newcomer Cohen’s story quickly turns into a mild-mannered domestic sitcom with sunny cartooning and a bright, chatty voice that feels more adult than kidlike. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (June)

Publishers Weekly

04/01/2014
PreS-Gr 1—Sadie's little sister Eva has long curly blond tresses "down to her tush" (Sadie's own mop is short, straight, and brown). No braids or pigtails can tame Eva's hair, and it has never been cut before. Sadie decides to "help" by grabbing their mom's scissors and giving Eva a haircut, with predictably dreadful results. She tries to hide the evidence from their parents but eventually admits to the misdeed after Eva tells on her, promising not to do it again. Allen's playful pencil, watercolor, and digital illustrations perfectly capture the wildness of Eva's hair and the gentle humor of the story. Based on a real-life haircutting incident with Cohen's young daughters, this story will resonate with many young readers, though hopefully not inspire them to get into their own haircutting shenanigans.—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

School Library Journal

2014-04-30
Inspired by a real-life, viral recording of WNPR reporter Cohen interviewing his daughters about a certain unfortunate hair-cutting incident.Eva has a mop of wild, crazy curls on top of her head that is out of control. It reaches almost down to her tush. Sadie, Eva's older sister, tries to force Eva's hair into a more manageable style, when suddenly she has a brilliant idea—what Eva needs is a haircut! Unfortunately, cutting hair is not as easy as it looks. Each snip brings another and then another. With Eva's shorn locks in a pile around her feet, Sadie knows the situation is "bad, bad, bad!" Chronicling a behavior that almost every child has indulged in (some to a greater extent than others), Cohen taps into youngsters' natural curiosity and disastrous inability to predict consequences. Told in the first person from Sadie's point of view, Sadie's initial sincere motivation and ultimate horror are both neatly captured. But the overall tone falls flat, even though there are exclamation points galore and emphasized italics to show spunk. Allen's cartoonish illustrations give the girls bright, expressive movement, almost as big as Eva's untamed tresses.One hopes readers see it as a cautionary tale, not a road map. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews