We’re so happy to be continuing our review corner on the Woke Babies blog. Featuring book reviews by Joseph and Lily from Glorious Reads and this time they have read J. Dillard’s incredible second book, J.D. and the Family Business, the follow up to J.D. and the Great Barber Battle.
J.D. and the Family Business is the second in an amazing series and a very stimulating read. Author J. Dillard is a fantastic storyteller and coupled with the brilliant illustrations by Akeem S. Roberts, makes this a must read book for children who love tales of kid-entrepreneurs, sibling dynamics and working as a team.
Eight year old J.D. discovers a love of cutting hair after needing to rectify a disastrous haircut. Now he’s cutting hair at his local barber shop, Hart and Son but even though he is making decent money, he feels like he could be doing more. When he discovers there are other kid barbers cutting hair and sharing their work online, he realises he’s ready for his next challenge. J.D. doesn’t just want to be the best barber in his town but in his whole state, or maybe even the country! He teams up with his sister who has a fledgling Youtube channel, to take over the hair world!
We follow J.D. and his sister Vanessa as they learn how to create quality videos showcasing their individual skills in the hope that people will watch their Youtube channel. Over the course of the book they have ups and downs and they need to learn how to work together so they can both shine in front of the camera. But it doesn’t quite go to plan!
When the equipment they borrow gets broken, J.D. has to find $500 to pay back his share. Using grit and determination, J.D. takes a chance, using all the skills he’s accumulated so far. Will he earn the money back in time?
J.D. and the Family Business is funny, inspiring and creative and we loved it! We’ve never read a book about a child barber before and it was exciting following his hair-styling dreams. The illustrations were full of life and showed off the unique hairstyles J.D. created. We enjoyed reading about a brother and sister having to work together as a team to achieve their goals even if they had moments where they struggled. It was very realistic!
Review by Joseph and Lily at Glorious Reads
