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
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Bodies are cool.
Feder, Tyler.
Paper Book
This cheerful love-your-body picture book for preschoolers is an exuberant read-aloud with bright and friendly illustrations to pore over.   From the acclaimed creator of Dancing at the Pity Party and Roaring Softly, this picture book is a pure celebration of all the...

Ages 2-7

A vibrantly-illustrated picture book that is beautifully body-positive and inclusive of human physical diversity, including size, race, disabilities, scars, body hair, gender, and family types. The illustrations are colourful and joyful, with small details that kids will delight in finding. The book celebrates many body parts - skin, hair, eyes, faces, fingers, tummies, legs, and scars. The only addition (or sequel?) we hoped for was a fuller portrayal of anatomy - similar to the now three decades-old Bare Naked Book - because we think these authors would have a wonderfully inclusive approach to genital anatomy. One of the best we’ve seen

What makes a baby : a book for every kind of family and every kind of kid /
Silverberg, Cory
Paper Book
Geared to readers from preschool to age eight, What Makes a Baby is a book for every kind of family and every kind of kid. It is a 21st century children's picture book about conception, gestation and birth, which reflects the reality of the modern era by being inclusive of all kinds of kids, adults,...

Ages 2-7

A simple yet engaging narrative that provides a framework for families to fill in their own details about how their child came into their family. The wording is gender-inclusive (“some people have a uterus”) and inclusive of all family types and conception/birth/adoption stories. However, if you are looking to introduce names of body parts, or how the sperm gets to the egg, you may find this book lacking in details.

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.”)

You Know, Sex : Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Things.
NULL
Paper Book
A completely new approach to learning about puberty, sex, and gender for children 10+.

Ages 8-12

This is the latest from Cory Silverberg, with more of a focus on puberty, gender and changing bodies.

"The puberty, anatomy, and reproduction chapters include trans, nonbinary, and intersex bodies and experience, and all of it takes place in our contemporary, media-saturated world (aka, there’s lots of smart phones and social media). Racially and ethnically diverse, inclusive of cross-disability experience, You Know, Sex is a book for every kind of young person and every kind of family—essential for kids, everyone who knows a kid, and anyone who has ever been a kid." [Publisher's Description]

A quick & easy guide to queer & trans identities [graphic novel] /
G, Mady
Paper Book
In this quick and easy guide to queer and trans identities, cartoonistsMady G and JR Zuckerberg guide you through the basics of the LGBT+ world!Covering essential topics like sexuality, gender identity, coming out, andnavigating relationships, this guide explains the spectrum of human...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.