Love Your Body
By Mandie Caroll,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Uplifting book for tweens celebrates all kinds of bodies.
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What's the Story?
In LOVE YOUR BODY, a diverse group of girls and nonbinary young people populate the pages of this self-love manual for tweens. Puberty is mentioned briefly, but the focus is on celebrating all the differences that make everyone unique and special. Characters are shown painting, playing guitar, reading, shopping, comforting each other, playing sports, doing yoga, hiking, and generally living their best lives. One spread acknowledges that it can be hard to love your body and suggests writing a list of all the great things your body helps you do. The next pages include 10 tips and activities to try if the list doesn't help, and, if they are still struggling, readers are urged to seek help from an adult or the organizations listed in the book. Text and illustrations work together to illustrate self-care and self-love practices. End pages include suggestions for next steps, resources, and an empowering affirmation.
Is It Any Good?
This charmingly illustrated, uplifting book uses engaging text and delightful art to help tweens embrace their changing, wonderful bodies. Though the text in Love Your Body loops around its major concepts in what could feel like a repetitive manner (for example: "Bodies come in all different forms and abilities. All these bodies are different ... what makes you different makes you, you."), this kind of rephrasing for young readers reinforces important ideas about loving your body and respecting other people's bodies. Rossetti's illustrations are warm and inclusive: Most readers who identify as a girl or as gender-fluid/nonbinary will see themselves in these pages.
The book features real bodies that we don't often see in media, let alone kid's books. And it includes unshaven armpits and legs, stretch marks, flat-chested girls, confident fat people in revealing clothes, and folks in wheelchairs engaging in sports. The tips, activities, and resource-rich end pages extend opportunities for growth. This is a welcome addition to any tween's or classroom's bookshelf.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about books that help us feel good about ourselves like Love Your Body. How important is it to see kids who look like you in the books you read?
Which tips and activities offered in this book might you try? Why?
The illustrations convey lots of information about different kinds of bodies. Did anything in the art surprise you? What's it like to see so many different body shapes, sizes, abilities and skin tones? Why do you think the author included the bodies she did?
Book Details
- Author: Jessica Sanders
- Illustrator: Carol Rossetti
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Activism , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
- Publication date: March 3, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: March 18, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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