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First Conversations
Every Body: A First Conversation about Bodies
A picture book edition of the board book about body liberation, offering adults the opportunity to begin important conversations with young children in an informed, safe, and supported way.
Developed by experts in the fields of early childhood and activism against injustice, this topic-driven picture book offers clear, concrete language and beautiful imagery to introduce the concept of BODY LIBERATION. This book serves to celebrate the uniqueness of your body and all bodies, and addresses the unfair rules and ideas that currently exist about bodies. It ends with motivational action points for making the world more fair for all!
While young children are avid observers and questioners of their world, adults often shut down or postpone conversations on complicated topics because it's hard to know where to begin. Research shows that talking about issues like race and gender from the age of two not only helps children understand what they see, but also increases self-awareness, self-esteem, and allows them to recognize and confront things that are unfair, like discrimination and prejudice.
These books offer a supportive approach that considers both the child and the adult. Stunning art accompanies the simple and interactive text, and the backmatter offers additional resources and ideas for extending this discussion.
Developed by experts in the fields of early childhood and activism against injustice, this topic-driven picture book offers clear, concrete language and beautiful imagery to introduce the concept of BODY LIBERATION. This book serves to celebrate the uniqueness of your body and all bodies, and addresses the unfair rules and ideas that currently exist about bodies. It ends with motivational action points for making the world more fair for all!
While young children are avid observers and questioners of their world, adults often shut down or postpone conversations on complicated topics because it's hard to know where to begin. Research shows that talking about issues like race and gender from the age of two not only helps children understand what they see, but also increases self-awareness, self-esteem, and allows them to recognize and confront things that are unfair, like discrimination and prejudice.
These books offer a supportive approach that considers both the child and the adult. Stunning art accompanies the simple and interactive text, and the backmatter offers additional resources and ideas for extending this discussion.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2023
192 people want to read
About the author
Megan Madison
10 books22 followersMegan Pamela Ruth Madison (she, her) is an early childhood educator, scholar, and activist based in New York City. She began her career working as an assistant in a Waldorf elementary school. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, Megan then went on to become a teacher in a Head Start preschool classroom. Now, as a doctoral candidate at Brandeis University, she works part-time facilitating workshops for teachers and families on race, gender and sexuality. Megan is currently working on a board book series with co-author Jessica Ralli for Rise x Penguin Workshop on race, gender, consent and body positivity. Megan recently completed a term on the governing board of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (or NAEYC) after several years serving as a co-facilitator of the association's Diversity & Equity Interest Forum. In that role, she worked to organize early childhood professionals around the country who are passionate about social justice. She is proud to hold a master’s degree in early childhood education from Dominican University. Megan lives in Harlem (unceded land of the Lenape people), where she loves reading, eating ice cream, and building community with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (or JFREJ).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 24, 2023
7/17/2023 - An excellent conversation starter! I appreciated the variety of people illustrated (races, shapes, sizes, abilities, genders).
My only issue is the focus on “every body can be a healthy body.” I can kinda see what they mean, but I feel like this could push some kids away from this book (asthma, cancer, other chronic health conditions).
My only issue is the focus on “every body can be a healthy body.” I can kinda see what they mean, but I feel like this could push some kids away from this book (asthma, cancer, other chronic health conditions).
September 14, 2024
5 stars for addressing head-on the false cultural myths and inaccurate assumptions upon which diet culture is based. The authors pull no punches, and I love it. If you’re still stuck in some form of acceptance of diet culture, you’ll be challenged in uncomfortable ways. Which I’m a fan of.
3 stars for the fixation on health as a laudable, achievable characteristic. While this is a great message from an anti-diet perspective, it’s also inherently ableist. While they are 100% accurate in pointing out that whether you are fat or skinny has nothing to do with whether you are healthy, health as we look at it is a temporary state for everyone. Nothing I can do will heal my body from the very debilitating neurological disease I was born with and deal with every day of my life. It limits me in ways that compromise my healthiness.
I still love the book. I just hope caregivers will take note of the ableism inherent in focusing on being healthy as an achievement and initiate the appropriate conversations with children in their lives to point out how murky ideas like “healthy” truly are.
3 stars for the fixation on health as a laudable, achievable characteristic. While this is a great message from an anti-diet perspective, it’s also inherently ableist. While they are 100% accurate in pointing out that whether you are fat or skinny has nothing to do with whether you are healthy, health as we look at it is a temporary state for everyone. Nothing I can do will heal my body from the very debilitating neurological disease I was born with and deal with every day of my life. It limits me in ways that compromise my healthiness.
I still love the book. I just hope caregivers will take note of the ableism inherent in focusing on being healthy as an achievement and initiate the appropriate conversations with children in their lives to point out how murky ideas like “healthy” truly are.
December 30, 2023
Perhaps this book would suit some children, who’ve already experienced some degree of body shaming. But I personally wouldn’t choose this as an introductory book for a preschooler. The page attempting to explain how expectations of what is beautiful or ideal, in particular, felt jarring. But the illustrations are beautiful, and show a good range of different body types that young kids might be curious about.
January 9, 2024
This book includes information on cultural and medical expectations for how bodies should look (for instance, BMI). It's the type of thing you don't want to expose your kid to, but I'm sure they've already noticed.
June 23, 2023
A clearly-written and thoughtfully-conceived book about how all of our bodies are different, all of our bodies have things in common, all of our bodies communicate things to us, and all of our bodies can be healthy. I liked the strong focus on how all bodies have fat and that fat is healthy and necessary, as well as the historical context provided with regards to how fatness has been systemically demonized. I think one misstep here was an overabundance of focus on HEALTH—In my own reading, I would want to add that bodies are also important and worthy if they are sick, too, and focus more attention on how our world is set up in a way to prevent many sick and disabled people from participating in it fully and getting care. Still, a great conversation starter.
January 1, 2024
Great information but I’m not sure a board book was the right avenue for it. I realize board books have expanded but this book is deeper than I anticipated. I hope that because it’s a board book individuals will not skip over it because the subject matter is well established in this book, where a variety of topics surrounding an individual’s body image is discussed. There is a picture book by the same title available and I guess I thought the information presented in a board book would be toned down compared to the same picture book, so now I’m curious as to what the picture book looks like.
At first glance, the illustrations inside this book are amazing. They’re bright, colorful detailed drawings that include a wide variety of individuals doing everyday activities. Every two-page spread also features an assortment of diversity: age, physical, ethnic, cultural, racial, etc. I liked the black text font as it’s bold and easy to read. I like how the book asks questions for the reader to answer based on their own experience. There are a lot of words to read in this book and the concepts discussed in this book are deeper than a beginning board book.
I like how the book addresses all the concepts surrounding body image. The book begins by addressing all the different types of bodies there are in the world and how they’re all special and healthy. From there, they address energy, fat, body needs, feelings, changes, body abilities, self-care, body image, being healthy, and it ends with every body is good. I liked how this book began with giving children a positive feeling about their bodies and accepting who they were, no matter what they looked like. I thought that the tone of the book started to get negative when it talked about BMI as they spent too many pages on this information. Perhaps they should have just stated that they thought this concept was wrong (as individuals tried to change to fit this standard) and moved back into a more positive tone with “every body is a good body.” “Every body can be healthy.” I also never saw any mention of exercise or being active. The book talked about your body’s energy and listening to your body needs but it never addresses how your body needs exercise.
I think this book has great potential for lots of uses. To share the illustrations (without reading the words) and talk about what they see, would be a great conversational starter about diversity and bodies. Sharing the whole book with a child who would understand the words could lead to some interesting conversations. I hope individuals pick up this book up for its content and don’t overlook it because it is a board book. There is also a picture book with the same title. 3.5 stars
At first glance, the illustrations inside this book are amazing. They’re bright, colorful detailed drawings that include a wide variety of individuals doing everyday activities. Every two-page spread also features an assortment of diversity: age, physical, ethnic, cultural, racial, etc. I liked the black text font as it’s bold and easy to read. I like how the book asks questions for the reader to answer based on their own experience. There are a lot of words to read in this book and the concepts discussed in this book are deeper than a beginning board book.
I like how the book addresses all the concepts surrounding body image. The book begins by addressing all the different types of bodies there are in the world and how they’re all special and healthy. From there, they address energy, fat, body needs, feelings, changes, body abilities, self-care, body image, being healthy, and it ends with every body is good. I liked how this book began with giving children a positive feeling about their bodies and accepting who they were, no matter what they looked like. I thought that the tone of the book started to get negative when it talked about BMI as they spent too many pages on this information. Perhaps they should have just stated that they thought this concept was wrong (as individuals tried to change to fit this standard) and moved back into a more positive tone with “every body is a good body.” “Every body can be healthy.” I also never saw any mention of exercise or being active. The book talked about your body’s energy and listening to your body needs but it never addresses how your body needs exercise.
I think this book has great potential for lots of uses. To share the illustrations (without reading the words) and talk about what they see, would be a great conversational starter about diversity and bodies. Sharing the whole book with a child who would understand the words could lead to some interesting conversations. I hope individuals pick up this book up for its content and don’t overlook it because it is a board book. There is also a picture book with the same title. 3.5 stars
August 23, 2024
Absolutely amazing! The note to grown-ups from the authors at the beginning of the book (quoted in its entirely below) is EVERYTHING! A perfect summary of how I feel picture books can change the world for the next generation. Almost makes me want to cry.
The book talks about how all bodies have fat to use for energy and we store it in different places; how you are in charge of your body and no one should talk about your body if you don't want them to; that all bodies need help with some things; it talks about how a long time ago white men made up BMI, and some people still believe that lie, and that makes some things harder for fat people including getting the care they need (pictured: white male doctor with young girl and dad of colour); and that we can work together to change these lies that many people believe about bodies!
I wouldn't change a thing about this book. It expresses these ideas better than I ever could, despite my desire to. This should be required reading for every body!
*Part of a series of other First Conversations books (Our Skin, Being You, Yes!No!, Together, Goodbye) Absolutely planning to read them all!
Note to grown-ups:
Kids are bombarded with untrue messages about bodies, starting in early childhood. Despite the growing scientific consensus that bodies can be healthy at any size, our society's pervasive pro-thin/anti-fat biases begin to be internalized well before children enter kindergarten. Preschoolers are already learning that our society values certain bodies above all other bodies. As grown-ups, we have a tremendous responsibility and opportunity to change this untrue story that can hinder healthy development for all children. We can tell the truth about bodies and create loving environments in which every child knows, deep in their bones, that they are just right, exactly as they are. This book is a great place to begin or continue the conversation. It's okay to take a break, leave something out for now, or weave in stories of your own.
The book talks about how all bodies have fat to use for energy and we store it in different places; how you are in charge of your body and no one should talk about your body if you don't want them to; that all bodies need help with some things; it talks about how a long time ago white men made up BMI, and some people still believe that lie, and that makes some things harder for fat people including getting the care they need (pictured: white male doctor with young girl and dad of colour); and that we can work together to change these lies that many people believe about bodies!
I wouldn't change a thing about this book. It expresses these ideas better than I ever could, despite my desire to. This should be required reading for every body!
*Part of a series of other First Conversations books (Our Skin, Being You, Yes!No!, Together, Goodbye) Absolutely planning to read them all!
Note to grown-ups:
Kids are bombarded with untrue messages about bodies, starting in early childhood. Despite the growing scientific consensus that bodies can be healthy at any size, our society's pervasive pro-thin/anti-fat biases begin to be internalized well before children enter kindergarten. Preschoolers are already learning that our society values certain bodies above all other bodies. As grown-ups, we have a tremendous responsibility and opportunity to change this untrue story that can hinder healthy development for all children. We can tell the truth about bodies and create loving environments in which every child knows, deep in their bones, that they are just right, exactly as they are. This book is a great place to begin or continue the conversation. It's okay to take a break, leave something out for now, or weave in stories of your own.
August 22, 2024
Absolutely amazing! The note to grown-ups from the authors at the beginning of the book (quoted in its entirely below) is EVERYTHING! A perfect summary of how I feel picture books can change the world for the next generation. Almost makes me want to cry.
The book talks about how all bodies have fat to use for energy and we store it in different places; how you are in charge of your body and no one should talk about your body if you don't want them to; that all bodies need help with some things; it talks about how a long time ago white men made up BMI, and some people still believe that lie, and that makes some things harder for fat people to get the care they need (pictured: white male doctor with young girl and dad of colour); and that we can work together to change these lies that many people believe about bodies!
I wouldn't change a thing about this book. It expresses these ideas better than I ever could, despite my desire to. This should be required reading for every body!
*Part of a series of other First Conversations books (Our Skin, Being You, Yes!No!, Together, Goodbye) Absolutely planning to read them all!
Note to grown-ups:
Kids are bombarded with untrue messages about bodies, starting in early childhood. Despite the growing scientific consensus that bodies can be healthy at any size, our society's pervasive pro-thin/anti-fat biases begin to be internalized well before children enter kindergarten. Preschoolers are already learning that our society values certain bodies above all other bodies. As grown-ups, we have a tremendous responsibility and opportunity to change this untrue story that can hinder healthy development for all children. We can tell the truth about bodies and create loving environments in which every child knows, deep in their bones, that they are just right, exactly as they are. This book is a great place to begin or continue the conversation. It's okay to take a break, leave something out for now, or weave in stories of your own.
The book talks about how all bodies have fat to use for energy and we store it in different places; how you are in charge of your body and no one should talk about your body if you don't want them to; that all bodies need help with some things; it talks about how a long time ago white men made up BMI, and some people still believe that lie, and that makes some things harder for fat people to get the care they need (pictured: white male doctor with young girl and dad of colour); and that we can work together to change these lies that many people believe about bodies!
I wouldn't change a thing about this book. It expresses these ideas better than I ever could, despite my desire to. This should be required reading for every body!
*Part of a series of other First Conversations books (Our Skin, Being You, Yes!No!, Together, Goodbye) Absolutely planning to read them all!
Note to grown-ups:
Kids are bombarded with untrue messages about bodies, starting in early childhood. Despite the growing scientific consensus that bodies can be healthy at any size, our society's pervasive pro-thin/anti-fat biases begin to be internalized well before children enter kindergarten. Preschoolers are already learning that our society values certain bodies above all other bodies. As grown-ups, we have a tremendous responsibility and opportunity to change this untrue story that can hinder healthy development for all children. We can tell the truth about bodies and create loving environments in which every child knows, deep in their bones, that they are just right, exactly as they are. This book is a great place to begin or continue the conversation. It's okay to take a break, leave something out for now, or weave in stories of your own.
August 10, 2023
TLDR: READ THIS BOOK.
I have never read a more healing book.
"Nobody should tell you how to feel about your body, and nobody should talk about your body if you don't want them to."
Reading those words on a page with all types of bodies illustrated at the beach in bathing suits to my daughter was a beautiful moment of breaking generational trauma. Being raised in a home where diets rampaged, comments about bodies were plentiful, being told being a certain size was sure to make you happy. Watching tv shows and movies filled with only skinny bodies. Seeing commercials and advertisements with only thin bodies. If only I had this book as a child. But now, my children have it. My daughter has it. And she will know that every body is a good body. That all bodies can be healthy.
I cannot express my sincere gratitude to illustrator Tequitia Andrews. Her artwork in this book is absolutely beautiful. The diversity. The inclusivity. This book needs to be in all homes, schools & classrooms, libraries, daycare centers, PEDIATRIC DOCTOR'S OFFICES. This should be the book children see in the waiting room. Thank you to Megan Madison & Jessica Ralli for having this first conversation. The backmatter "Continue the Conversation" was artfully curated and allowed my husband and I to easily continue to have the conversation with our children about bodies, diversity, disability justice, fatphobia, fat activism & positive body talk and affirmations.
I have never read a more healing book.
"Nobody should tell you how to feel about your body, and nobody should talk about your body if you don't want them to."
Reading those words on a page with all types of bodies illustrated at the beach in bathing suits to my daughter was a beautiful moment of breaking generational trauma. Being raised in a home where diets rampaged, comments about bodies were plentiful, being told being a certain size was sure to make you happy. Watching tv shows and movies filled with only skinny bodies. Seeing commercials and advertisements with only thin bodies. If only I had this book as a child. But now, my children have it. My daughter has it. And she will know that every body is a good body. That all bodies can be healthy.
I cannot express my sincere gratitude to illustrator Tequitia Andrews. Her artwork in this book is absolutely beautiful. The diversity. The inclusivity. This book needs to be in all homes, schools & classrooms, libraries, daycare centers, PEDIATRIC DOCTOR'S OFFICES. This should be the book children see in the waiting room. Thank you to Megan Madison & Jessica Ralli for having this first conversation. The backmatter "Continue the Conversation" was artfully curated and allowed my husband and I to easily continue to have the conversation with our children about bodies, diversity, disability justice, fatphobia, fat activism & positive body talk and affirmations.
December 9, 2023
A great intro to all our different bodies - colors, shapes, sizes, etc. We learn about what our bodies tell us, how they use energy, and how our bodies feel. It's an affirmative and positive look at this incredible gift we all have and the way they grow and change. The illustrations and text are pretty simple. The book asks lots of great questions to start a discussion about how we feel, when we need help, and how we are each in charge of our own bodies. Loved the line, "Don't talk about my body" and "All bodies can be healthy."
Read as a nomination in the Fiction Picture Book book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
The book took a turn toward blaming white men for deciding one type of body the best. While that has happened, I'm not sure it fit to tell all through the book that we can't talk about bodies and should accept all bodies, and then went out of the way to identify the color of the bodies that made the rules. I think it would have set a better example to children if it were more open, and a little less blamey. There's a lot of discussion about not needing to change our bodies to be healthy and good bodies, but it doesn't tell us what makes a body healthy or encourage healthy behaviors. While I'm one of the first to call out diet culture, this book went a little too far into an argumentative stance, instead of a feel-good healthy stance.
Read as a nomination in the Fiction Picture Book book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
The book took a turn toward blaming white men for deciding one type of body the best. While that has happened, I'm not sure it fit to tell all through the book that we can't talk about bodies and should accept all bodies, and then went out of the way to identify the color of the bodies that made the rules. I think it would have set a better example to children if it were more open, and a little less blamey. There's a lot of discussion about not needing to change our bodies to be healthy and good bodies, but it doesn't tell us what makes a body healthy or encourage healthy behaviors. While I'm one of the first to call out diet culture, this book went a little too far into an argumentative stance, instead of a feel-good healthy stance.
January 18, 2024
The beginning of this joyfully illustrated book reproduces similar ideas as those in Tyler Feder's gorgeous Bodies Are Cool, before moving on to additional territory: body awareness, how emotions express themselves in our bodies, reminders about consent. Then it takes it further, to an explicit, but age-appropriate explainer of how BMI came to dominate our widespread medical understanding about bodies and health ("Before you were born, a group of white men started making up lots of ideas about bodies that weren't true."). If you're not already on board with BMI being a harmful standard, this will probably bother you, but I deeply appreciate how it's laid out here in a way that children can understand (and the illustrations reinforce that this standard doubles up with racism to harm Black and Brown people especially). I can see this book being such a powerful affirmation for any child who's been told by their doctor that there is something wrong about their body because of its size.
I'll add that the critique of Health at Every Size -- that it is insufficiently embracing of bodies that are not "healthy", e.g., living with chronic illness -- holds here as well, since language about "all bodies can be healthy" appears in more than one place. On the other hand, the message that all bodies need help -- a beautiful and important message from the disability justice movement -- is also prominent, so I love that.
I'll add that the critique of Health at Every Size -- that it is insufficiently embracing of bodies that are not "healthy", e.g., living with chronic illness -- holds here as well, since language about "all bodies can be healthy" appears in more than one place. On the other hand, the message that all bodies need help -- a beautiful and important message from the disability justice movement -- is also prominent, so I love that.
October 28, 2025
Great up to a point.
This would have been a great intro to bodies & body positivity for littles had it stopped a handful of pages early. 2/3 of the book is written in short and easy to understand prose for young kids. For example: "My body is smart! I listen to my body because it tells me about what I need. It tells me if I need to move or to rest."
Great!
But then...
"Before you were born, a group of white men started making up lots of ideas about bodies that weren't true. They said that one kind of body was the best, and that being fat was bad and being skinny was good. They were very wrong, but lots of people listened to them.
Some people still think that being skinny is better than being fat, or that to be healthy, you have to be thin. Because of these ideas, there are unfair rules about bodies that make lots of things harder for fat people, like getting the care they need from doctors. Also, because of those ideas, many people feel like they need to change their bodies to look a certain way. But that's not true or fair at all!"
And while that is all true, I don't really think it is an appropriate part of the storytelling for a three-year-old. It is marketed as "A First Conversation" book about bodies? But for what age? Who is this for? It's a bummer because I won't be able to read this to my toddler, but with some seriously needed editing, I could have been.
This would have been a great intro to bodies & body positivity for littles had it stopped a handful of pages early. 2/3 of the book is written in short and easy to understand prose for young kids. For example: "My body is smart! I listen to my body because it tells me about what I need. It tells me if I need to move or to rest."
Great!
But then...
"Before you were born, a group of white men started making up lots of ideas about bodies that weren't true. They said that one kind of body was the best, and that being fat was bad and being skinny was good. They were very wrong, but lots of people listened to them.
Some people still think that being skinny is better than being fat, or that to be healthy, you have to be thin. Because of these ideas, there are unfair rules about bodies that make lots of things harder for fat people, like getting the care they need from doctors. Also, because of those ideas, many people feel like they need to change their bodies to look a certain way. But that's not true or fair at all!"
And while that is all true, I don't really think it is an appropriate part of the storytelling for a three-year-old. It is marketed as "A First Conversation" book about bodies? But for what age? Who is this for? It's a bummer because I won't be able to read this to my toddler, but with some seriously needed editing, I could have been.
September 5, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up. I love all of the diversity in this book (body type, racial, ability, ages, and more) and I love that it is so body-positive... but it does bother me a bit that at no point do they mention the importance of being active (no matter your body type). I have been quite thin my whole life but at some points I have not been healthy because of my lack of activity. On the other end of the spectrum, one of my coworkers is on a roller derby team and though some of her skater friends are very large, I have no doubt they are healthier than me (and I admire their endurance). I was at a musical/dance show recently and thought the same thing of some of the people performing, they would be considered fat, but their ability to move and stay moving is much greater than my own.
I will say that the illustrations do seem to stress being active (there is a lot of active play depicted), so maybe they just tried to stress that subtly.
Overall, this is a great body-positive book!
I will say that the illustrations do seem to stress being active (there is a lot of active play depicted), so maybe they just tried to stress that subtly.
Overall, this is a great body-positive book!
June 19, 2024
This is an incredible book that delves into many necessary conversations children need to have regarding their bodies. The book does talk about basic topics like how important it is to listen to our bodies but the book also discusses and has a positive explanation of body fat, it talks about autonomy (what you do with it, how you feel about it, etc). It also talks about how beauty standards can affect us -- that the standards we see on media is a lie and that white supremacy contributes it. The book explains all of these concepts in a developmentally appropriate manner to children. And of course, this book actually has body diversity -- it shows a variety of races, weight, and abilities. Speaking of abilities, it talks about how everyone can have different physical abilities and sometimes need support. All in all, this is a children's book I can truly say acknowledges and fully embraces body diversity.
November 9, 2023
I absolutely love this series; First Conversations is the perfect name because these books focus on providing age appropriate questions and points of entry for conversations with kids about intimidating topics.
When reading Every Body I was a bit crunched for time, so I didn't give the back matter a thorough read-through or examine the illustrations closely. I did really appreciate that societal fatphobia is directly addressed rather than simply alluded to, though I wish the sentiment that "Every body can be a healthy body," had been followed up with something about how unhealthy bodies aren't immoral/bad/unworthy either.
TW: fatphobia, ableism
When reading Every Body I was a bit crunched for time, so I didn't give the back matter a thorough read-through or examine the illustrations closely. I did really appreciate that societal fatphobia is directly addressed rather than simply alluded to, though I wish the sentiment that "Every body can be a healthy body," had been followed up with something about how unhealthy bodies aren't immoral/bad/unworthy either.
TW: fatphobia, ableism
June 5, 2024
I once heard an author and illustrator speak about a book they worked on together that had a fat main character. It was very important to them that the child never look like their clothes were too small-- that they simply had a fat body that they had appropriately sized clothes for because illustrators will often use too small clothes as a short-cut for us to know that the character is fat. I thought about that as a read this and looked at the pictures. There are fat characters with appropriately fitting clothes, but also fat characters who have ill-fitting clothes. I wonder about those decisions.
January 13, 2024
This is an excellent book that parents can use to start introducing their children to concepts such as body basics, self-care & community care, changing bodies, body diversity, disability justice, fatphobia, body liberations & fat activism, critical media literacy, and body talk & affirmations (all reviewed through the story and in the backmatter). I loved the prompting questions throughout the story that makes this a naturally interactive book. It looks like this is part of a series and I can't wait to read the rest! The others are about race, gender, consent, and love.
March 11, 2024
4 stars (I really liked it)
This book can serve as a great conversation starter about bodies, heath, etc. Lots of pages have a question for the reader to think about that can facilitate these conversations.
I have mixed feelings about the part where the authors talk about the origin of our society's obsession with a certain body type. While I think it's interesting and true, it just felt a little awkward/out of place in the book. I guess I felt like that part of the book didn't flow easily with the part that came before it.
This book can serve as a great conversation starter about bodies, heath, etc. Lots of pages have a question for the reader to think about that can facilitate these conversations.
I have mixed feelings about the part where the authors talk about the origin of our society's obsession with a certain body type. While I think it's interesting and true, it just felt a little awkward/out of place in the book. I guess I felt like that part of the book didn't flow easily with the part that came before it.
May 25, 2024
The illustrations are everything. I absolutely loved them. When it came to the content, I think the authors tried to be a little too ambitious and didn’t quite pull it off. There were some complex topics addressed that didn’t translate well when distilled into a one-page spread of a children’s book—still, this could perhaps work as a good conversation starter with children, in which case, well done.
April 22, 2025
I get this concept, and love the heart behind the book. We need to be rid of body shaming. The BMI chart is bad/negative, and the chart's creation is "blamed" on white men which is a very strange thing to add in a children's book. And, being overweight and obese does tax the body and add health risks, just as being too thin. All bodies will be different, and this is a very positive message to sent to children!!!! Some of the book's phrasing and "facts" are opinion and subjectively stated.
November 3, 2025
This is the kind of real-talk book about bodies that kids crave. I like that it covers body differences, body care, body signals, body changes, body autonomy, body concepts, and activism. I also like that it asks interactive questions that match the theme of the page. I agree with other readers that this could seem ableist to some and that the "care" discussion could be expanded to include things like nutritious foods, movement, and rest.
August 23, 2023
Wonderfully inclusive and a great first conversation about body positivity. The illustrations are as inclusive as the message of the book, and I love that the text specifically calls to the illustrations and asks kids to think about their bodies and the bodies of others in a positive light. This is a great and interactive first conversation.
July 23, 2025
I don’t normally include short, children’s books on my “read” shelf, but this book deserves a little more attention. I think (hope) each generation is getting better at body image, but it’s books like this that are doing a large part of that work.
Definitely worth the read with all children about how all bodies are different and special!
Definitely worth the read with all children about how all bodies are different and special!
August 12, 2023
Very good. This is really an excellent series for young readers and their grown ups. The feminist content felt tangential to the point of me asking "was it feminist?" but I guess saying all bodies are good and healthy bodies is indeed a feminist value.
August 27, 2023
Gorgeous book for children which truly celebrates all bodies, gets conversation going and introduces the myth that skinny is best.
Love the diversity, the non-gendered language, discussion around fat and what bodies can do.
Love the diversity, the non-gendered language, discussion around fat and what bodies can do.
May 14, 2023
Amazing book! Where is the cover art, Goodreads?!
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May 29, 2023Terrific conversation starter! Accessible and well-illustrated.
June 6, 2023
This is a worthy addition to the series and discusses how bodies are different and fine to be different.
June 14, 2023
4.5 A good book on diversity in bodies.
July 18, 2023
7/17/2023 - Every body is unique and that’s what makes them beautiful!
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