RATING: 🟢 Recommended
REVIEWER: Ari Press
REVIEW METHODOLOGY: Louise Derman-Spark's Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books from the Social Justice Books Project, Teaching for Change
“My body, your body, every different kind of body!
All of them are good bodies!
Bodies are cool!"
This is an absolutely beautiful book that teaches the powerful lesson of self acceptance and appreciation for one’s own body. This is a message that all kids–and a lot of adults–need to hear. The characters are widely diverse and there is more representation in these few pages than I’ve seen in any other book. In a world with rigid beauty standards and a society that’s quick to judge, it's important to make everyone feel seen and appreciated for the magical thing that is their body. The flow of the book makes it quick and easy to read and the use of the word “cool” makes the sentiment more digestible for kids.
The message of this book alone is why I love it so much, but that is only half of what it offers. Every single page is an artistic wonderland of detail. Each and every character has their own unique traits and it feels like they have their own unique story with the level of detail that Feder put into the illustrations. Each scene depicts a variety of beautiful people engaging in community activities in a variety of different settings. The characters depicted have all sorts of hair types, skin tones, and other features such as vitiligo and prosthetic legs. Each page is a delight to gaze at.
Tyler Feder wrote and illustrated this entire book on her own. Feder has a B.A. in Radio/TV/Film and a certificate in creative writing for the media. Her book wholeheartedly deserves a green light assessment for the diversity in her illustrations and the powerful message of her book. I enjoyed reading it multiple times and would recommend it to everyone regardless of age because it is beautiful and makes me more aware of my appreciation for the human body.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
REVIEWER BIO: Ari Press is a student Portland State University and is taking Zapoura Newton-Calvert's Social Justice in K12 Curriculum course. Their volunteer work was a partnership with Reading Is Resistance and the Social Justice Books Project from Teaching for Change.
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