Introducing Brielle, aged 6, from Rolleston and the poetry book she authored inspired by Mophead, a picture book by Selina Tusitala Marsh.
My name is Brielle, and this is my poem book that I made. Its creation all started with me seeing the book Mophead in a book shop with Mum. We both said, “That looks like my hair!”. We read it together and really liked it. My hair stands out too, just like the author of the book.
Last school holidays, we thought it would be fun to make my own poem book about my hair. My book is colourful and bright, standing out just like my hair! I like that it celebrates my hair and I had fun learning how to rhyme words, typing them, and drawing pictures on the computer. My Mum printed the pages, and I glued the cover onto cardboard to make it look like a real printed book. I have read it to my family and classmates, which I was quite nervous about, but luckily my awesome teachers helped me. My brothers are really proud of me - that’s me reading to them in the photo!
My favourite part is the message in my book; that my hair tells the world who I am. It’s a feature that really stands out, and I am proud of the different cultures that makes me who I am. I want people to feel proud of what makes them unique too.
Brielle and the poetry book she wrote. Selwyn Stories, accessed 21/04/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6862