Stephanie's Ponytail
By: Robert Munsch
Illustrations: Martin Martchenko
Paperback, 24 pages.
Annick Press
ISBN: 1550374842
September 1996

Stephanie used to wear her hair in a regular ponytail that came out the back of her head. The other kids all said "Ugly, ugly, very ugly" to Stephanie, but the next day the kids wore ponytails coming right out the back like her. So Stephanie switched to a ponytail that came out the side of her head, but again the next day, the kids wore ponytails out the side.

Steadfast, Stephanie keeps trying new hairstyles. With each change, her ponytails grow more outrageous and the list of copycats grows until even the teachers and principals are all copying her styles. When at last Stephanie can no longer tolerate it, she tells everybody that the next day she will come to school BALD! What do you think? Of course the next day her ponytail is coming straight out the back, and everybody else is itchy prickly bald shaved heads.

A terrific depiction of Stephanie’s struggle with individuality, this book is so much Munsch, so delightfully his irreverent flair. Illustrations by Michael Martchenko are of course delightful accompanying. Like many of Munsch’s stories, this one came about while he was visiting a school, storytelling, and was so well received that he made it into a book. Goody.