Books for All Bodies

When it comes to bodies, kids have a lot of questions. Toddlers want to know what body parts are called, preschoolers may ask how babies are made, school-aged children are starting to wonder about puberty, and teens need to understand sex, relationships, and consent. Many of the books that parents in this generation have grown up with, however, tended to leave a lot of bodies and families out of the conversation. Luckily, we’re now seeing a whole range of diverse and inclusive body books emerge, for young people of all ages.

Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries has partnered with Parents of Trans, Two Spirit, and Gender Diverse Kids peer support group to bring you some of our favourite inclusive titles about bodies, babies, puberty, and sex.

[Note: An earlier version of this article appeared in The Telegram (October 16, 2021) as part of NLPL's monthly column. It can be accessed with your library card via PressReader. It has been updated to add newly published titles as of June 2022.]

Updated June 14, 2023
Newfoundland & Labrador Public LibrariesNLPL Pride
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The bare naked book /
Stinson, Kathy
Paper Book
Bodies, bodies! Big and small, short and tall, young and old--Every BODY is different! The Bare Naked Book has been a beloved fixture in libraries, classrooms, and at-home story times since its original publication in 1986. Now, this revised edition is ready to meet a new generation of...

Ages 2-7

This important classic picture book about parts of the body has gotten a wonderfully inclusive update and new illustrations that reflect a range of diversity. Similar to "Bodies Are Cool" in style, but (as promised by the title), this book also features bare naked bodies with a spread about genitals. Body parts aren't named specifically beyond the term "genitals," and aren't identified by gender, which makes this book great for anyone. Parents and caregivers can choose to add additional naming language as needed

Making a baby /
Greener, Rachel.
Paper Book
This inclusive guide to how every family begins is an honest, cheerful tool for conversations between parents and their young ones. To make a baby you need one egg, one sperm, and one womb. But every family starts in its own special way. This book answers the "Where did I...

Ages 2-7

A wonderfully straightforward picture book about how babies are made, with much inclusive language, and one unfortunate omission. Parents rmay want to edit their reading of the introductory page about babies and body parts to make it more genderinclusive (we hope to see this in future editions, plus a change to the language of “biological sex” in the back matter). That said, the rest of the book uses inclusive language like “the womb of the person who is going to grow the baby.” The biological explanations are simple, accessible, age-appropriate, gender-inclusive, and include specific descriptions of sexual intercourse, artificial insemination, IVF, surrogacy, and adoption. Great representation of diverse families.

Sex is a funny word : a book about bodies, feelings, and YOU /
Silverberg, Cory
Paper Book
A comic book for kids that includes children and families of all makeups, orientations, and gender identities; an essential resource about bodies, gender, and sexuality for children ages 8 to 10 as well as their parents and caregivers. Much more than the facts of life' or 'the birds and the bees,'...

Ages 8-12

An engaging and inclusive graphic novel about bodies and body changes, gender identity, consent, crushes and relationships. This book discusses sex through the lenses of respect, trust, joy and justice, with ongoing discussions of consent and privacy. It includes diverse representations of gender, sexuality, culture, race, and ability, and uses inclusive language like “some bodies have vulvas and some don’t.” The section on safety and ‘secret touching’ has suggestions for talking about unwanted touch and ideas for alternatives to hugs. One caveat - kids in the older range may have questions that go beyond the scope of this book. Though ‘sex’ is in the title, the book does not describe sexual activity, and sexual identities are only defined in the glossary. (Good news — a third book in this series is coming in 2022 called “You Know, Sex.”)

A quick & easy guide to queer & trans identities [graphic novel] /
G, Mady
Paper Book
A great starting point for anyone curious about queer and trans life, and helpful for those already on their own journeys! In this quick and easy guide to queer and trans identities, cartoonists Mady G and Jules Zuckerberg guide you through the basics of the LGBT+ world! Covering...

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