My Hair Is a Book by Maisha Oso

Illustrated by London Ladd 5 stars Stunning! A fantastic ode to hair and heritage. Through poetic text, the narrator connects hair to history, telling tales of iconic figures, sports, dance, and afternoons spent in the kitchen together. It connects family, culture, strength, and love. Beautifully written. I especially enjoyed all the creative wordplay. The artwork…

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Gorgeously Me! by Jonathan Van Ness

Illustrated by Kamala Nair 4 stars An adorably sweet book with wonderfully bright illustrations. Told through flowing rhyme and a catchy refrain, the book encourages self-love and acceptance, teamwork, helping others, and individuality. Beautiful messages and a soothing rhythm. The artwork is absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous details and colors. A wonderful, heartfelt read. Goodreads

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Magic Like That by Samara Cole Doyon

Illustrated by Geneva Bowers 5 stars A gorgeous, lush celebration of Black hair and self-confidence. Told through lyrical narration, a young girl shares some of her favorite hairstyles as she waits for her mother to reveal her latest creation. I loved the different facets expressed through different hair styles, from whimsical to majestic, mischievous to…

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I Love My Body Because by Shelly Anand and Nomi Ellenson

Illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina 5 stars A wonderfully sweet and empowering book, celebrating bodies and what they can do. The illustrations are beautiful. Loved the soft lines and diversity of characters. The artwork contains people with different skin tones, sizes, hair textures, and heights. There are characters that wear glasses, use wheelchairs, wear hijab,…

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Big by Vashti Harrison

5 stars A touching and empowering picture book about the associations attached to words, the way our words affect others and ourselves, and the freedom of allowing yourself to take up space. Simple narration with a powerful message. The story shows the shift in childhood from when “big” is seen as a good thing (“What…

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Repeat After Me: Big Things to Say Every Day

by Jazmyn Simon and DulĂ© Hill Illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice 5 stars Short and sweet review because this book has me smiling so big. A stunning picture book filled with positive affirmations to repeat every day. Each spread contains a daily affirmation along with a poem that expands on it. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous….

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When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez

5 stars A powerful novel in verse that proves you are more than the hardships you have faced. I’d recommend looking at the trigger warnings before going in to this as there are quite a few traumatic events that occur. These include rape, food insecurity, homelessness, drug overdose, and police brutality. This book may not…

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Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor, Illustrated by Nabi H. Ali

5 stars I fell in love with this book the moment I saw it. The colors, the designs, the characters, the message. It is just what we needed in the world. The message of body positivity and loving yourself is not necessarily new to children’s literature, but I’ve need seen it presented in a way…

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