• Age: 5 to 7
• Grade: k to 2

"In a seaside town on a cozy little bay,
ships of all kinds often dock for the day.
There a man lives loved by tourists and fishers,
known through the world to do magic with scissors."

So starts this children's book debut by author-illustrator Joe Frank.

With bright splashes of vibrant watercolors and jaunty rhyming prose, Frank's fashionable maritime myth comes alive in 32 pages of seafaring fun.

With his perfectly coifed pompadour, our protagonist, Arthur Garber, must set aside providing cuts for tourists and naval crews when he is met with the challenge of his life: A castaway with wild hair floats ashore hoping to look normal, once more.

"There was simply so much of it, frazzled and frizzy.
Anyone else would have left feeling dizzy.
What followed became a maritime myth.
A castaway saved by a master hairsmith."

Full of wild hair, tall tales and a joyous surprise, Arthur Garber the Harbor Barber is a fantastic yarn for landlubbers and seafaring folk alike.

Joe Frank is an illustrator and writer. Nominated for the 2009 Pushcart Prize, he has also been honored as an emerging writer by the City of Hamilton Arts Awards in 2015. Joe lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with his wife, three children and chihuahua. You can find him online at josephthefrank.com.

Joe Frank's profile page

This fun, rhyming tale is sure to delight its readers. Arthur's masterful talent led him to a challenge that led him to his greatest reward: friendship!

Midwest Book Review

Overall, this humourous (and sometimes silly) title is an entertaining readaloud. Recommended.

Canadian Review of Materials

Young readers will enjoy the humorous text and illustrations of this magical barber. Teachers can use this book as an example of rhyming poetry and the use of exaggeration to create humour. This book could also be used when studying the different kinds of communities, this being a fishing community.

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