Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
A powerful tool for teaching kids about consent.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FROM MY HEAD TO MY TOES follows an unamed girl as she travels throughout her community -- running with her dog, visiting a park, going to gymnastics class, and so forth. Using clear, simple language, she talks about what she likes to do with and in her body, and eventually about how consent, safety, and bodily autonomy figure into interactions like greeting friends, playing, and interacting with community members young and old. She emphasizes knowing that each person is in charge of their own body and should listen to it when it feels good and when it doesn't, and that no one is allowed to touch another person without asking.
Is It Any Good?
The clear language and consistent, positive messages about bodily autonomy on every page of this empowering book make it a valuable resource for kids, parents, and people of all ages. From My Head to My Toes by Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman balances a positive message about loving your own body with firm boundaries about touch and feelings; it's a no-nonsense guide to talking with kids about their safety and self-worth. Bea Jackson's beautiful illustrations match the encouraging tone of the story perfectly. The author's personal note at the end of the book references her own abuse, giving urgency to the book's messages and the end pages provide a good starting point for conversations about not keeping secrets and staying safe.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how their bodies feel when they are uncomfortable, using the language in From My Head to My Toes. How does your body react when it doesn't feel safe?
Which teachers or other adults in your life could you talk to if you felt unsafe? Why might communicating about feeling unsafe be hard? Why is it important to talk to someone when something feels unsafe?
Have you ever felt like you had to be uncomfortable about someone touching your body in order to be seen as nice or polite? What was the situation? Which adults can help support your right to decide who touches your body in the future?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Bea Jackson
- Genre : Picture Book
- Character Strengths : Communication
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Henry Holt & Company, Inc.
- Publication date : April 2, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : July 31, 2024
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