BOOK REVIEW: HANA & THE HAIRY BOD RAPPER

Book written by Dr. Leema Jabbar, Illustrated by Pearly L.
Available to buy in print or e-book on Amazon
Review written by Chris at Project WWHA

I read every night with my 4 year old daughter, and getting a new book to read when this one came in by Amazon was normal yet exciting. Although she is 4 years old, my daughter is aware of the topic of arm hair because of Project WWHA as sometimes she sees us working on some images on Instagram or on our computers.

The physical presentation of the book in terms of its size, paper quality, binding and print quality was comparable to other books that we read. The aesthetics of this book in terms of its presentation of colours and illustrative quality is right up there with other top children’s books that we are reading with fairy and unicorn or traditionally feminine fantasy themes. The full bleed imagery and artwork is completely top notch. The characters presented in the book each have their own unique skin and hair colour, which I found refreshing and furthermore each had their own different style of body hair which was shown in the illustrations as well. Although the main story centred around the body hair of just Hana, I was giddy to see both that Hana noticed, and the illustrations showed body hair present on numerous other characters in the book. This aspect goes to show and teach a child the reality of arm and body hair as being ubiquitous and I think may even be a first for a children’s book in the world ever.

The plot of Hana publicly discovering her arm hair and in the same moment being alienated with it, was exactly the story that almost every participant in Project WWHA has shared about their lives. There is a very common shared experience of being singled out as a child and from that point on wanting nothing more than to be like everyone else; without noticeable hair. It’s not even that the attention or comment in and of itself was particularly negative, it is simply that there was attention to point out a difference, and the difference wasn’t being celebrated, it was being questioned. I would hazard to say this is a common theme for nearly every female-presenting girl on earth who has noticeable body hair regardless of skin or hair colour and regardless of where on earth they grow up, however I do believe the pressures are heightened in English speaking nations due to the tendency of glamorizing fair haired women over the past 100 years in the media. I’m glad to see that I am not the only one who has noticed that this tendency is not exactly healthy, and that perhaps there has been a shift emerging of late in mass media. I digress.

Hana is soon joined by a fairy “Hairy Bod Rapper” who sings her 12 pages of explanation as to what role her arm hair plays in her life and through this provides insight into why her arm hair should be loved. The role of the fairy and her explanation is suitable and engaging for a young child but may not resonate with older children as she spells out a fantasy “hair band” which plays instruments and rocks to a unique beat. The book in this area is a lot of fun to read as my daughter insists that I sing the lyrics (because I cannot rap for the life of me) and if I try to go back to reading the lyrics too soon, I am told, “no, sing!”.

My daughter has looked closely at her body and has expressed that she didn’t want the hairs there. She also doesn’t want the freckles or the bruises. I am hopeful that the context this book brings will help me reinforce that her hairs are a wonderful and integral part of her body.

In closing I think this book is something for which the world is yearning and I feel there is a great deal of potential to influence self confidence in those with arm hair and other noticeable body hair at a young age so they can enter tenuous peer pressure situations with an armament of knowledge, self-awareness and acceptance that perhaps the previous generation did not have.

The book is available to be purchased online at the author’s website or on Amazon for a very reasonable price. I’m hopeful for a translation into various languages to help the young women in every part of the globe discover the divine nature of their hair bands!

PROJECT WWHA Empowerment Guide

This publication is intended to show how femininity and arm hair are not mutually exclusive. The guide is a visually rich photobook that showcases our most poinant images from the year, highlighting both new participants and professional models who have worked with us to normalize arm hair.

Our 2021 Empowerment Guide comes in 2 editions; Taty or Markana cover which each contain a different 8-page spread featuring their respective cover models.

Printed in the USA, the magazine will ship most anywhere in the world, or you can view a digital copy for a reduced fee. All proceeds go to continually reinvest in our project and the models and participants who make it what it is today.

2020 Empowerment Guide

It all started when…

“I found your website through google since I wanted to have a chance to be a model but I didn't really know if having body hair would prevent me from modeling. When I came across your website I was in awe because I don't get to see models with hairy arms at all. I felt like it's possible to model with hairy arms, especially since I have hairy arms and have been bullied because of it.”

• Alison S.
  Cover Model for Project WWHA Empowerment Guide 2020

Many women are realizing that it is not fair to loathe one’s own body hair and quite frankly are looking for ways to embrace it.

The Project WWHA Empowerment Guide 2020 elegantly conveys the truth that body hair and femininity are not mutually exclusive, and leaves readers feeling a sense of amazement, belonging and self confidence about their body hair.

Order a print copy or view online for free. Our high quality paperback guide is printed in the USA and shipped anywhere in the world. Click the image below to navigate to the ordering page.