I realised it had been almost a year since we did a roundup of books for kids. So I took myself to Big Foyles in the name of research; don’t say I’m not good to you!
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Liddy and her family are going to the Dim Sum Palace the following day for a feast. As Liddy drifts off to sleep, she is transported to the palace of an ancient Chinese Empress - The Dim Sum Palace - where she accidentally falls into the Dim Sum mixture and almost gets eaten. Luckily the Empress spots her in time, and the two sit down to an incredible feast before the Empress tucks Liddy back in her bed in time to wake up and go to the real Dim Sum Palace. Putting this book in the top spot for a reason: it’s so rare that you see a fat child unapologetically taking pleasure from eating in kids’ books. This is a rare exception. All the characters are larger than life and drawn in this dreamy, soft and ‘pillowy’ kind of way, mirroring the doughy dim sum. Liddy has a visibly round belly. There are beautiful depictions of Chinese ingredients lining the endpaper (which in and of itself is a great starting point to talk to kids about food), and if you take off the dust jacket, you’re in for a treat. A (who just turned 4) screamed his head off in the middle of Foyles when he thought Liddy was going to get eaten, but aside from that initial shock, he absolutely adores this book. Definitely one of the most read on this list (and a homage to In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak who also wrote Where the Wild Things Are).
A beautifully illustrated picture book for younger kids, especially if you’re planning a trip to the beach this summer. There’s not much of a story here - just a collection of things you can see and do by the seaside. But what I think is so cool about this book is the diversity of bodies that are enjoying the beach. And not just people laying on the beach, but bodies of all shapes and sizes jumping off cliffs, eating ice cream, and it normalises difference in ability too, listing a mobility scooter alongside other modes of transport for getting to the beach.
Gorgeously Me! by Jonathan Van Ness, illustrated by Kamala Nair
I mean, this book has everything you would want from a picture book by JVN; sass and sparkle and a saccharine sweet message. The book encourages children to embrace their uniqueness; our differences are our strength and everyone deserves respect and kindness. Would have loved more body diversity in this book, but the message is great and seems to really resonate with A.
Strong Like Me by Kelechi Okafor, illustrated by Michaela Dias-Hayes
The story follows Kamara, a young girl who appreciates how strong her body is. As sports day approaches, kids in Kamara’s class make hurtful comments about her, making her doubt herself. This leads her to learning that strength is about so much more than physicality. Author Kelechi Okafor describes how she wanted to subvert the ‘strong Black woman’ trope and tell young Black girls that there is strength in vulnerability and kindness.
