From My Head to My Toes

by Aly Raisman, Bea Jackson (Illustrator)

A joyful ode to loving and caring for our bodies, from Olympic gold medalist and advocate Aly Raisman and bestselling artist Bea Jackson.

My body is my own.
My body is just right for me,
From my head to my toes

From My Head to My Toes gently introduces young readers to the topics of consent and bodily autonomy in a positive way. Cheerful and informative, this story focuses on the powerful message of self-love. Aly’s inspiring words are paired with expert-vetted resources, giving adults the tools to begin having these essential conversations with kids from a young age.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mental Health, Sports, Bodies, Abuse, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 2, 2024

About the author

Alexandra Rose "Aly" Raisman (born May 25, 1994) is an American gymnast and two-time Olympian. She was a member and captain of both the 2012 "Fierce Five" and 2016 "Final Five" U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics which won their respective team competitions.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great picture book about consent!

[Lorellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comfortable and prettily illustrated book about loving your body and consenting to any sort of touch. It's a little old for Tot. But we still enjoyed looking at it together.

[Aolund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty straightforward and effective book about bodily autonomy. The many ways our bodies can feel and how we can listen to them are discussed, as well as our right to decide what kind of touch we do and don't want, to say no, and how it feels to be around safe people. Note to caregivers at back about how to talk about consent and boundaries with children.

Themes: Bodily Autonomy, Consent, Body, Feelings
Age range: Toddler-Kindergarten

[Brandi Younce · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. A reflection of what the author wishes she knew when she was little herself. Now she can teach millions of children, to trust themselves and empower themselves and protect themselves!! Bravo Aly!!!🩷

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

We know the story about body autonomy and enthusiastic consent, but it goes beyond that. It talks about taking care of yourself (eating yummy foods, snuggling with stuffed animals), and expands on the consent aspect. The ending felt a smidge stretched out (as if they needed X amount of pages and were a few short and "fudged" by repeating themselves), but overall a nice book. What makes this a four and not a 3.5 is it really tried to represent different people. There are few traditionally diverse characters, but again, this is expanded. It is brightly colored and minimal detailed to keep a serious subject less intense as it could be.

Read as an online reader copy

[Jenn O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing illustrations! Love everything about Bea Jackson's work. This is a great book to teach children about the importance of consent and body autonomy. I think Aly Raisman does an a very good job to normalize a hard conversation, especially after her experiences during her own gymnastics career.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, and slightly older book about bodily autonomy and consent. As many different ways of sending this message as possible will always be a good thing! This one is written by Aly Raisman, who is Olympic gymnast and advocate for survivors of sexual assault, like herself. Who better to share this kind of information than someone who has survived the consequences of not having it.

The book is written in first person, and feels like affirmations. "I love my body, so I am kind to my body." It focuses on listening to what your body needs and trusting what it tells you. Whether that means your physical needs and sensations (hungry or cold), emotions (happy or scared), or desire for movement, affection, or alone time.

It acknowledges that some people don't respect that your body is your own, and they touch without permission. The accompanying pictures are common scenes of being hugged too hard or a teacher affectionately touching a girl's leg. It acknowledges that it can be hard to say no in these situations, and that it's okay to ask for help. It also reaffirms that "my body is STILL my own" after these things, which is a big one that is rarely mentioned.

The author's message at the end of the book is incredibly touching and powerful (and captures my belief in the power of picture books as well):
"I often reflect on what I wish I knew when I was younger and what I wish I could tell my younger self. I think a lot bout how important it is to teach kids from a young age to trust themselves and to believe that their voices are powerful and that their bodies are their own. I wanted to create a book to empower, educate, and emphasize the importance of trusting and knowing yourself."

[Elena L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book with a powerful message about self-love, loving and caring for your body. From sadness to feeling protected, the story inspires young readers to know their body's limits, highlighting the power of voice to protect own body. With straightforward text, the repetitive tone emphasizes the message and the story has a 'darker' side that I'd recommend for older readers. A book to educate and heal, it creates a safe environment for kids to talk openly about consent and healthy boundaries, while also acknowledging that one is enough the way one is. In short, an important book.

[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) . All opinions are my own ]

[Jared White · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 but because of the illustrations, I rounded up to 4. A nice book on boundaries and consent. I think this one should be used in conjunction with some other books on the subject and, as always (and as it suggests in the back of this book), some discussion should accompany its reading.

The overall body positivity and illustrations are where this book really shines. There are different skin tones (as well as someone with Vitiligo), body types, someone who is wearing hearing aids, someone who is wearing a hijab, someone who is wearing a kippah, someone who uses a wheelchair and is an amputee, someone who has a prosthetic leg, and probably more.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book to inform kids on body positivity and how important using our voice is in how people around us treat us.

This is a great book to use to have discussions with kids about consent in hugs and things that might make you uncomfortable. It also goes into the best practices in taking care of your body and the joy a body can bring. Listening to your body is important here.

This is a great resource for kids to have. A message book.

[Susan Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aly Raisman has preformed a great service for children and for people who care for children. She has provided content and vocabulary and concepts for children to understand their own comfort and communicate their limits and delineate their safe spaces. There are other books like this for early childhood (and any childhood) providers and care givers. All are important. This message is essential and requires much reinforcement and reiteration.

[Madi Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS SO IMPORTANT!! I purchased it since I love Aly, but this is going to be a staple book for my classroom. It is well written with beautiful and very diverse illustrations!! It talks all about consent and how not asking for consent can lead to big feelings. It also explains that consent can change at any time and that it is okay to say NO and to use your voice. Love the positive affirmations throughout as well.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ANY TEACHER, CLASSROOM, and LIBRARY!! ❤️

[Ellee Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copyright date: 2024
Star rating: 5
Award: N/A
Genre: children's lit
Summary w/ themes: This book is written by a gold medal gymnast and is a message to younger kids about their feelings, what is safe, and that it is okay to say no.
Use for future classroom: This would be a good book to talk about our differences or why every body is a good body.
Thoughts of book: I really enjoyed this book and how simple it is and yet how truthful it is.

[Jenica]

I'm really glad this book exists. I bought it for my niece and pseudo-niece but now that I've actually read it, I also want to provide a copy to every school in my area. I think this is a great starting point to helping children feel comfortable speaking up for themselves and trusting their instincts.

[Joanie Whittemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

From My Head to My Toes is such an important book, whether to the adult/teen reading the book to another, or anyone of any age reading this book for themself. You’re never too young or old to learn to love your body and to learn that boundaries are good! No one should touch your body without permission. Highly recommend!

[Jessica Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated! I also liked the messages about taking care of and appreciating one's body, bounderies, and talking to a trusted adult when something doesn't feel right. Great introduction to a few topics opening the doors for deeper discussions.

[Jane McCarville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book regarding helping kids put into words what they might feel about their body and how it is their own. Beautifully written with excellent illustrations showing positive and negative/uncomfortable touching and about setting boundaries with others.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

we love consent and new ways to tell children about how to say no and to love and cherish their body

[Manda Marigold · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book discusses the serious topics of body ownership and consent in a tasteful way.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modelling consent and body positivity

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really important and good for first conversations with young readers.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are the absolute best here, and the theme of the book of consent is so important.

[Nelly Martínez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the message of this book for children! Such a concise/clear communication, words are understood without any confusion for them.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations and more importantly, a great story about boundaries for the younger generation.

[Y.Poston]

a beautiful and handy tool to help
children inhabit and own their bodies

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book for young kids to help start a conversation about permission.

[Michelle Halber]

Great picture book to introduce the concept of consent.

[LeeTravelGoddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped me, wow!! 💚💚💚

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concept of the book but it didn't seem to flow right to me

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empowering affirmations for girls