Her Body Can by Katie Crenshaw and Ady Meschke. Illustrated by Li Liu

By: Shruti Ramakrishnan EDS 131 

Her Body Can is an empowering and lively children's book that celebrates unique strengths, abilities, and the beauty that every young child has. It's written in uplifting, rhythmic verse, and encourages early childhood readers to embrace who they are and to respect others. The vibrant illustrations showcase diverse characters of different races, sizes, and abilities. The book counters several harmful societal messages that tend to tie a person's appearance to their worth. This book reminds children that each and every body is capable of doing incredible things--whether it's playing sports, dancing, or eating whatever they feel like. When shared in the classroom or at home, this book sparks meaningful conversations about diversity, inclusion and rejecting stereotypes. 

Anti-Bias Elements: 

Diverse Representation: Li Liu's illustrations show children of various body sizes, physical abilities, skin tones, and hairstyles. For example, there is an illustration of a young boy with a prosthetic leg playing soccer, which demonstrates that everyone can take part in fun childhood experiences. The visual diversity seen in this book normalizes inclusion and helps young readers see that there is beauty in everyone, and that it is separate from their physical appearance. 

Positive Messages About Identity: This books affirms different lifestyles and interests, regardless of if they are more mundane activities such as taking pictures and reading, or more adventurous ones. Her Body Can shows children that their different interests are affirmed, while also seeing other interests being shown in a positive light. This encourages children to celebrate their individuality, while also being respectful to other's choices, ultimately creating a sense of belonging. 

Collaboration and Support: All throughout the book the reader can see people engaging in group and solitary activities. In a society where females are often pitted against each other, it is refreshing to see an early childhood depiction of girls being empowered in groups. The emphasis this book places on teamwork and community helps students understand the importance of respect, empathy, and community in building supportive, strong connections.

Her Body Can is a must-have for any library young children are exposed to as it provides them with a meaningful look at self-acceptance, diversity, and community.