#ady meschke

[mizamour]

Her Body Can by Katie Crenshaw and Ady Meschke, illustrated by Li Liu: This much-needed book depicts and affirms a dynamic, beautiful little girl with a large body as she lives her life - enjoying the ups and downs of a race (excitement, weariness, triumph, and exhausted relief) , expresses herself through fashion, acts in theatre, plays soccer with her friends, eats delicious food, makes memories, and more. The expressive illustrations are just as important as the words, as they depict the main character's joyful approach to life and the intersectionality of body positivity - especially in a page that says "Worth is not measured by the shapes of our thighs," where the picture includes not just the main character, but also (among her friends) a boy with a prosthetic leg. As a kindergarten teacher who sometimes has heard kids (even as young as kinder!) make comparisons of their bodies or call themselves "fat" in a pejorative way, I wish I'd had this book all along! I will definitely be buying it for the classroom! #intersectionalfeminism #intersectionality #bodypositivity #bodypositivitymovement #socialjusticeeducation #socialjusticebooks #socialemotionallearning #childrenwhoread #readwithyourchild #ChildrensBooks #childrensliterature #diversekidlit #diversechildrensliterature #fatacceptance #loveyourself #loveyourbody #girlsread #girlpower https://www.instagram.com/p/CCR8Sntnb3E/?igshid=19pewyr9avtff

[ge0rgiafrancis]

Research into childrens books

After deciding that I want to look more in depth into body positivity, I've started looking into children's books that already do this, as I need to know what I'm stepping up against, and how I can add to things that already exist.

I've come across this book called 'Her Body Can' by Kate Crenshaw and Ady Meschke.

This book is all about a little girl that is showing us exactly what her body CAN do, not what it can't. The illustrated girl is slightly larger than other books I've come across and the story rhymes throughout. I love the concept for this book so much as she faces small situations that sometimes can be daunting for a child growing up with body issues, but the character faces them head on and shows the reader exactly how to overcome issues.

This has really inspired me to look at my own personal struggles growing up, what scenarios did I struggle with as a child, and what would I do differently now? I've previously conducted an interview with a group of adults regarding their childhood issues and what they regret already, but using my me and my sister's own stories provides a more personal approach.

I've screenshotted each page from 'Her Body Can' to show how the book addresses different scenarios.