Rose Bousamra is a metro Detroit debut artist of Frizzy, an indie bestselling graphic novel and winner of the Pura Belpré award, written by Claribel A. Ortega. Bousamra will present Frizzy and discuss their new work on Tuesday, April 25 from 4:30-5:30pm, at the Royal Oak Public Library located at 222 E. 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak, MI 48067. The presentation will be held in the Friends Auditorium on the main floor. Registration is required and the room size is limited to 50 registrants. Please contact the Royal Oak Library on their event page for more details or call the Youth Desk at: 248-246-3725. Book Beat will be selling books at the event or call us at (248) 968-1190 to reserve a copy.
Frizzy is a middle grade graphic novel about Marlene, a young girl who stops straightening her hair and embraces her natural curls. Frizzy is appropriate for grades 4-6 and tweens, ages 9-12.
Praise for Frizzy
“Bousamra’s eye-catching color scheme, dominated by soft shades of pink and blue, and expressive illustrations showing Marlene’s vibrant community are the perfect vessel for this story. An especially tender scene in which Marlene finally experiences a pain-free wash day speaks volumes about the healing themes present throughout this graphic novel.” –Kirkus, starred review
“Ortega’s narrative shows the complex arc of Marlene’s emotional growth – from exuberance to sadness, self-reflection to empowerment – captured with aplomb in Bousamra’s expressive illustrations.” –Horn Book, starred review
“Bousamra skillfully renders expressive and visually distinct characters, employing bright and cheerful coloring in pastel hues to sweetly capture touching moments. Ortega expertly examines themes of colorism, generational trauma, and toxic beauty standards via authentic, heartstring-tugging dialogue…”
–Publisher’s Weekly, starred review
“Through warm, encouraging collaboration, creators Ortega and Bousamra underscore and celebrate the joys of being “beautiful in your own way.” -Shelf Awareness
