Three books to add to your library to build better body image

Books are a great way to help children learn all sorts of things - including how to appreciate and embrace their bodies from the very beginning of their lives.  

Storytelling in picture books helps to introduce important key messages like: 

• All bodies are good bodies: When we celebrate diversity, everyone feels included and like they belong. 

• It’s what’s inside that counts: When we encourage kids to focus on the incredible things their bodies can do, they focus less on what they look like.  

• Kindness counts: When we are kind to ourselves and our bodies, we can be kind to others too.  

And it works. In one study, 9-year-old girls were read Shapesville twice and their body image improved. Research from the Pretty Foundation found that 3 in 5 parents reported a positive impact on their child’s body image within just one month of reading the Charlie’s Tales books to their children.  

Here are our top three favourite books that share these key messages - read to the end of this article for how you can get them for free at your service! 

Embrace Your Body, Taryn Brumfitt 

Embrace Your Body by Taryn Brumfitt is a perfect starting point for children aged 2+ to start building messages of body confidence in your story time. With its beautifully illustrated and colourful depictions of bodies in all shapes and sizes, the book discusses the amazing things our bodies can do. It celebrates diversity and discourages comparing our bodies to others.

Charlie’s Tales series, The Pretty Foundation 

Charlie’s Tales is a series of five books originally developed by the Pretty Foundation and now distributed by The Embrace Collective. These beautifully crafted books explore significant themes such as the uniqueness of our bodies and the importance of valuing our differences, as well as the significance of character and inner beauty. With built-in discussion questions on the inside cover and more complex storylines, these books are ideal for children aged 4 to 9.

Shapesville, Andy Mills and Becky Osborn 

Shapesville is a picture book about five friends who live in a small town. They are all different shapes, sizes and colours, and each has a unique talent. They encourage children to celebrate their own differences and learn that, “It’s not the size of your shape, or the shape of your size, but the size of your heart, and that deserves first prize. So be proud of your body, any size or shape will do. Be proud of your body because YOU are a STAR too!”

Shapesville has been officially evaluated by researchers, and was found to have a positive impact on children’s body image and weight stereotyping. 

After reading these story books, you can ask the children: 

• Can you show me something incredible your body can do? 

• What can we do to look after our bodies?  

• What is something that is special about you? 

• Isn’t it great that we all look different, and can do different things with our bodies? 

• How can we show other people that we will be kind and friendly to them? 

For more resources on this topic, we invite you to join the free Body Blocks program for early childhood educators. In the program you'll find a series of seven short videos (total watch time 30 minutes!) to get the latest information about how to build better body image in your centre - with tips about what to say during play, mealtimes and home time!   

Visit https://theembracehub.com/education-hub-for-teachers/ and follow the links to register and have Body Blocks by Embrace Kids delivered straight to your inbox. 

All books can also be purchased through the Body Image Movement shop at https://bodyimagemovement.com/shop/. 

Further reading: 

Early strategies for supporting positive body image by Dr Zali Yager