This is a book for every bookshelf. It's the one you'll wish you had when you were growing up and the one you'll definitely want for your own children.
Melbourne author, advocate and social worker Jessica Sanders has written Love Your Body to help stem the tide of negative body images in young women.
Speaking directly to the reader, her voice is reassuring, comforting and empowering.
She takes us through all the amazing things our bodies can do and all the different shapes, sizes, abilities and colours that they come in, with the constant message: Every body is a good body.
But this is not just a pep talk for young girls. It's a practical guide for self-love and self-care. There are fabulous ideas for when you're finding it hard to love your body, inspiring tips on self-care, and advice on embracing your body and who you are. And there's a great list of resources at the back of the book for support and help.
Carol Rossetti's illustrations are joyful and refreshing, depicting a diverse group of girls as they move through to womanhood. They are real and relatable, with the aim of helping normalise so-called imperfections and celebrating bodies as instruments rather than objects.
In a world where women are still lauded for their beauty and are heavily Photoshopped for magazines, where seven out of 10 girls will stop themselves from eating when they don't like the way they look, where body-shaming is rife, this book is a must-have for all boys and girls, for all families and schools. Highly recommended.
Title: Love Your Body
Author: Jessica Sanders
Illustrator: Carol Rossetti
Publisher: Five Mile Press, $24.99
Publication Date: May 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781760683962
For ages: 6+
Type: Picture Book
