Bodies Are Cool

Reviews / Votes

A bustling celebration of body positivity that lovingly features bodies, skin, and hair of all kinds . . . Feder chooses clear and unapologetic language to describe body characteristics, challenging the negative connotations that are often attached to those bodies . . . Depicting societally marginalized human bodies in all their joyful, normal glory, this book is cool. * Kirkus, starred review * This inclusive book shows and celebrates all types of bodies in the park, in the pool, at a party-everywhere. That's exactly where all our bodies are . . . . It's truly transformative not only to be seen by others but to see yourself. To see yourself just as you are. To see yourself included. To see your body as good, as cool . . . a great resource to start conversations about fatphobia and anti-fat bias and to help a kid struggling with their self-image. * Lisa Fipps, author of Starfish * This joyous, uncompromising, vividly illustrated picture book celebrates bodies-everybody's
bodies. Each page is dedicated to one physical aspect: height, size, shape, skin color, arms,
tummies, scars, prosthetics-just about any feature that young kids might notice (and comment
on). Three lines of rhymed verse list various manifestations ("Leg hair, armpit hair, / fuzzy-lipand-
chin hair, / brows-meet-in-the-middle hair") followed by the repeated message: "Bodies are
cool!" The wonderfully detailed illustrations (drawn by a "left hand with a crooked index finger,"
according to author and illustrator Feder) spill from the pages, showing an array of multicultural,
multiabled, multishaped characters of all ages fully enjoying everyday activities: the beach, an
ice-cream store, a picnic, and so on. The spread that showcases eyes ("Hazel eyes, brown
eyes,/ monolids and round eyes, / Blind and wearing-glasses eyes") is set in a dark movie
theater, with the glowing whites of characters' eyes emphasizing the variations. This would make
a great read-aloud, especially as the "Bodies are cool!" refrain invites audience participation.
Intended for young audiences, this unabashed promotion of body positivity packs a punch and
reminds readers to respect and love every body-including their own. This is a timely message
with universal applications. -- Kathleen McBroom * Booklist * "Big bodies, small bodies,/ dancing, playing, happy bodies!/ Look at all these different bodies!/ Bodies are cool!" In an act of resistance against ubiquitous, homogenous images of human figures, artist Feder (Dancing at the Pity Party) offers up an inclusive celebration of endless variation in rousing verses and group settings, including public transit, a seasonal market, and a pool. Feder employs bold black linework and a luscious palette of candy colors. Bouncy text, on each page ending with the refrain "bodies are cool," attends people of varying abilities, ages, body shapes, religions, skin tones, and hair textures; a range of gender identities and sexual orientations are shown throughout. In one outdoor campfire scene, two brown-skinned adults snug- gle-one shirtless with top surgery scars, the other with stretch marks and leg hair who wears a crop top and shorts. Across the spread, someone breastfeeds an infant in a hammock, and a variety of ethnically varied kids-one hijabi, one wearing an eye patch-play around a tree. With such a joyfully inclusive range of humans, all taking part in community and taking pleasure in each other's company, it's hard to imagine a stronger statement of body affirmation and pride. * Publisher's Weekly *