My Hair Went on Vacation by Paula Quinn tells the story of a young girl experiencing hair loss from alopecia. As she learns to navigate the changes in her appearance, she discovers that what makes her different is also part of what makes her special. With warmth and humor, the story encourages readers to embrace differences, build confidence, and celebrate the qualities that make each person uniquely themselves.
Discussion Questions
- What do you think it means when someone’s hair “goes on vacation”?
- How do you think it feels when something about your appearance changes?
- What are some things that make each of us unique?
- Why is it important to accept people who look different from us?
- How can we make someone feel included if they are worried about being different?
- What does it mean to be confident in who you are?
- Why shouldn’t we make assumptions about someone based on how they look?
- What are some kind things you could say or do if someone was being teased for looking different?
- How can our differences make our classroom or community stronger?
- What is something about yourself that makes you unique?
- How can we show someone that we care about their feelings?
- What can you do if you hear someone making an unkind comment about another person’s appearance?
- What does it mean to celebrate someone’s differences instead of just accepting them?
- How can you be a good friend to someone who is going through something you don’t completely understand?
- What is one thing this story teaches us about kindness and belonging?
“What Makes Me, Me!” Portrait
Give each student a blank outline of a face or person and have them create a self-portrait that celebrates what makes them unique.
Around their portrait, students can write or draw:
- Something they like about themselves
- Something that makes them unique
- Something they are good at
- Something that makes them happy
- One way they can help others feel included
Finish by having students share one thing from their portrait, if they’re comfortable, and combine the portraits into a classroom display titled “Our Differences Make Us Awesome!”
Unified connection: Pair students up to find one thing they have in common and one thing that makes each of them different, reinforcing that we can belong together without being the same.
This video features the author and her daughter, Rosie, who inspired the book, reading the story together and sharing some commentary.
A more focused reading: