"Dark skin, olive skin,
every shade of brown skin,
pinky-pale or peach skin.
Bodies are cool!
Poofy hair, wavy hair,
springy curls and flat hair,
lots of hair or no hair.
Bodies are cool!"
Cool is right! Little kids don't judge people by the way they look unless ... and it's a big 'unless' ... they hear those they love comment on differences and react with indifference or distaste. It is a fine line for adults these days. News, television, magazines, social media all have a hand in contributing casual, or not so casual, comments on size, shape, race, sexual identity, and wardrobe. Little ones are learners, and they listen to such comments, inadvertently accepting the tone of that conversation.
Tyler Feder honors every type of body in this welcome and thought-provoking book. She illustrates and describes bodies seen wherever people gather. The bodies are from different cultures, and of different ages, genders, disabilities, and physical shapes and sizes. Each double-page spread offers a new gathering place filled with activity and joy: public transportation, a dance class, a mural installation, the park, a campfire, a movie theater, a farmer's market, an ice cream shop, an art class, the pool, a birthday party, a neighborhood barbecue and a community celebration. The rhythmic text makes for a great read aloud for classrooms, and with small groups.
"Growing bodies, aging bodies,
features-rearranging bodies,
magic ever-changing bodies.
Bodies are cool!
Body love is a resonant and achievable goal when it's given a fair shake in the world. Careful observation of the fully detailed spreads, followed by meaningful conversation are sure to result in a growth in confidence and pride about all bodies. Kids need to see themselves in the books they read. This book offers a REAL look at the people they come in contact with each and every day.
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