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BeYOUtiful: Celebrating Diversity in Beauty
This is NOT a book about what to wear, how to put on make-up or pose for a photo. This is a book about what it means to be beautiful, perfect for readers 10+. It will teach you how to decide FOR YOURSELF what beauty really is, and give you the superpower to say, 'I'm beautiful!' – and mean it! Funny, inspirational and from the heart, BeYOUtiful is full of practical tips on how to feel positive about the way you look. It breaks down why images you might see around you aren't always what they seem and gives advice on how to navigate social media. You can also discover how ideas of beauty vary around the world from culture to culture and through history. Explore how people's opinions and ideas are shaped by others and read real-life stories of amazing women. The energetic and joyful illustrations showcase a huge diversity of women and girls, talking about their own experiences. Everyone will find something or someone they can relate to. Are you ready to start a girl-powered beauty revolution?
Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 7, 2022
"Making yourself feel happy in your skin, making other people feel good about themselves, and respecting and appreciating that everyone around the world is just as beautiful as each other might sound like a small thing compared to those huge issues. But it's not. It's huge. Because being happy about yourself, feeling positive, and pushing yourself forward instead of holding yourself back can unleash you as a force for good in the world."
Janmohamed's book BeYOUtiful celebrates all the diverse ways in which women and girls live and act in their bodies. Through conversations surrounding hair, skin, fashion, beauty practices, and social media literacy, Janmohamed makes a convincing argument for body positivity. Included in her book are all sorts of women, from athletes to actresses to activists from all sorts of cultures. She describes the ways in which the idea of beauty has changed over the course of hundreds of years and even how these notions are changing today.
This is a fantastic book to begin teaching children about what it means to be happy in your own body, and how the notion of ugliness has been used to bully and demean women for having desires outside their gender roles. I particularly enjoyed the fact that she mentions plastic surgery and even minorly invasive practices such as Botox, but that even though these exist, they do not address the underlying root of why women wish to permanently--and dangerously--alter their appearances.
A perfect primer for introducing your teens and tweens to beauty culture, and may go quite well hand-in-hand with books like Beauty Sick and The Beauty Myth when they're older.
Janmohamed's book BeYOUtiful celebrates all the diverse ways in which women and girls live and act in their bodies. Through conversations surrounding hair, skin, fashion, beauty practices, and social media literacy, Janmohamed makes a convincing argument for body positivity. Included in her book are all sorts of women, from athletes to actresses to activists from all sorts of cultures. She describes the ways in which the idea of beauty has changed over the course of hundreds of years and even how these notions are changing today.
This is a fantastic book to begin teaching children about what it means to be happy in your own body, and how the notion of ugliness has been used to bully and demean women for having desires outside their gender roles. I particularly enjoyed the fact that she mentions plastic surgery and even minorly invasive practices such as Botox, but that even though these exist, they do not address the underlying root of why women wish to permanently--and dangerously--alter their appearances.
A perfect primer for introducing your teens and tweens to beauty culture, and may go quite well hand-in-hand with books like Beauty Sick and The Beauty Myth when they're older.
December 23, 2022
Many years ago, I read Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Janmohamed, which spoke to my young (early 20s) Muslim girl’s soul. So by association, I thought this book would speak to inner preteen Muslim girl’s soul.
It did. It also spoke to my early 30s Muslim woman’s soul. On the whole though, this book is for every woman, regardless of age. There are sweet anecdotes and colourful illustrations, and contempory and historical vignettes about women — known and lesser known. Sure to appeal to young and old alike.
I will admit that as a practising Muslim, I found this book to be more secular in that the images and illustrations weren’t necessarily centered around the idea of hijab or modesty. Which is fine if you don’t go into the book expecting it. I was expecting it, given my previous reading experience of a headscarf-y book by the same author. But I don’t think that mattered by the time I finished reading this book.
This book is important.
Its message is simple.
We are all beautiful. Just as we are.
Thing is, will you promise to remember this? That YOU are beautiful, just as you are?
Would recommend.
It did. It also spoke to my early 30s Muslim woman’s soul. On the whole though, this book is for every woman, regardless of age. There are sweet anecdotes and colourful illustrations, and contempory and historical vignettes about women — known and lesser known. Sure to appeal to young and old alike.
I will admit that as a practising Muslim, I found this book to be more secular in that the images and illustrations weren’t necessarily centered around the idea of hijab or modesty. Which is fine if you don’t go into the book expecting it. I was expecting it, given my previous reading experience of a headscarf-y book by the same author. But I don’t think that mattered by the time I finished reading this book.
This book is important.
Its message is simple.
We are all beautiful. Just as we are.
Thing is, will you promise to remember this? That YOU are beautiful, just as you are?
Would recommend.
February 27, 2024
Really *Nice * gentle book for youngsters - full of history which i think is always useful ! ... Nice layout feel and use of colours
Its going to make a really nice present !
Its going to make a really nice present !
February 28, 2024
Sehr süß, sollte jeder seinem Kind vorlesen. Unterstütze ich gerne
July 2, 2023
In 5 Kapiteln schreibt Janmohamed über verschiedene Themen der Schönheit. Sie geht dabei unter anderem auf Haare, Körper, Haut und das generelle heutige und frühere Weltbild, das sehr facettenreich ist, ein. Ein Unterkapitel mit dem Thema innere Schönheit wäre eventuell noch ganz nett gewesen.
Janmohamed schreibt dabei immer kurze Abschnitte, sodass Teenager durch Titel gezielt ein für sie interessantes Thema finden und lesen können und nicht von einem wissenschaftlichen Roman geplättet werden. Sie geht auf Unterschiede ein, beleuchtet diese und versucht so Akzeptanz zu vermitteln und dabei auch das Selbstwertgefühl zu stärken.
Manche Punkte hätte ich mir etwas kritischer durchleuchtet gewünscht, wie zum Beispiel das Haare Färben, Tätowierungen oder auch Obesität. Auch die Erwähnung von Botox und Dermalfiller fand ich deplatziert. Daher würde ich dieses Buch erst raten, selbst durchzulesen und anschließend den Töchtern weiterzureichen und mit diesen dann bei eventuell aufkommenden Fragen oder weiterem Interesse an Diskussionspunkten kritischer zu sehen.
Auch verstehe ich nicht, warum eine Person mit langen Haaren auf dem Cover das Mädchen mit dem Afro nahezu umhüllt. Da hätte ich mir mehr Gleichberechtigung gewünscht. Außerdem kann ich auch mit dem Gendersternchen im Untertitel nichts beginnen, da das Buch offensichtlich nur Mädchen anspricht.
Ansonsten ist das Buch aber ein solides Werk, kompakt rund um das Thema Schönheit.
Janmohamed schreibt dabei immer kurze Abschnitte, sodass Teenager durch Titel gezielt ein für sie interessantes Thema finden und lesen können und nicht von einem wissenschaftlichen Roman geplättet werden. Sie geht auf Unterschiede ein, beleuchtet diese und versucht so Akzeptanz zu vermitteln und dabei auch das Selbstwertgefühl zu stärken.
Manche Punkte hätte ich mir etwas kritischer durchleuchtet gewünscht, wie zum Beispiel das Haare Färben, Tätowierungen oder auch Obesität. Auch die Erwähnung von Botox und Dermalfiller fand ich deplatziert. Daher würde ich dieses Buch erst raten, selbst durchzulesen und anschließend den Töchtern weiterzureichen und mit diesen dann bei eventuell aufkommenden Fragen oder weiterem Interesse an Diskussionspunkten kritischer zu sehen.
Auch verstehe ich nicht, warum eine Person mit langen Haaren auf dem Cover das Mädchen mit dem Afro nahezu umhüllt. Da hätte ich mir mehr Gleichberechtigung gewünscht. Außerdem kann ich auch mit dem Gendersternchen im Untertitel nichts beginnen, da das Buch offensichtlich nur Mädchen anspricht.
Ansonsten ist das Buch aber ein solides Werk, kompakt rund um das Thema Schönheit.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews