Book Review
A short overview of this book
It’s My Body: A Book about Body Privacy for Young Children by Louise Spilsbury is a lovely book for starting conversations about body safety and keeping your body private (and safe).
This beautifully illustrated book talks about:
- body privacy and why private parts should be kept private
- that their body belongs to them and they can say ‘no’ if they don’t want anyone to touch their body
- what’s inappropriate (in regards to touch)
- how to speak up if they are uncomfortable with how other people treat them
- secrets and when you shouldn’t keep a secret
- respecting each other’s boundaries
- recognising that you need to ask before you touch someone else
- bullying, such as pinching or kicking, and the best way to speak out to help stop these things happening
This book could be helpful with conversations about playing doctor, when you want to encourage children to not touch another child’s genitals. Or to not let another child touch theirs.
The only thing I don’t like though is that this book doesn’t name the genitals. So you will need to add that part in yourself. It is important that kids use accurate language when disclosing inappropriate touch of their genitals, so that they aren’t misunderstood.
Other than that, I really do like this book!
You can learn more on this page, about how to talk to kids about sex education.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 4 to 7 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of It’s My Body: A Book about Body Privacy for Young Children by Louise Spilsbury from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! I’m Cath Hak, and welcome to Sex Ed Resscue. On my YouTube channel, Sex Ed Rescue, I review lots and lots and lots of books that can help parents have those awkward conversations with their kids about sex, privacy, and bodies. You can also find all the book lists sorted by age and topic on my website. We’re talking over 350 books now, so there’s plenty to choose from!
Today, I want to talk about a book that a parent recommended to me. It’s called My Body, A Book About Body Privacy by Louise Spilsbury, published in 2018. Let me tell you, I really like this book. It’s super diverse, just like English books usually are. It features kids of different abilities, skin tones, and genders. It’s great to see that kind of representation!
The book starts off by celebrating how amazing our bodies are. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but they’re all brilliant. Our bodies help us move, walk, run, and dance. They grow bigger and heal themselves when they get hurt. They even let us know when we’re feeling tired or hungry. Our bodies are pretty awesome, right?
The book emphasizes the importance of taking care of our bodies. Eating good food, being active, and keeping clean are all ways to show our bodies some love. It also reminds us to listen to our bodies. When we’re tired, we should go to bed. When we’re hungry, we should eat. Our bodies are smart, and they know what they need.
Now, let’s talk about body privacy. Sometimes, it feels good to hug and kiss our loved ones. But other times, we might not feel like it, and that’s okay. We have the right to say no, even to someone we love. Our bodies belong to us, and we get to decide who touches them. If we don’t want to hug or kiss, there are other ways to show affection. It’s important to communicate our boundaries and ask people to stop if they’re touching us in a way that doesn’t feel good.
The book also addresses the importance of recognizing when some touches never make us feel good. It’s never okay for someone to pinch, push, hit, or hurt us. If someone does something that makes us uncomfortable, we should tell a trusted adult so they can help us sort it out. And remember, private parts are called private for a reason. We don’t show them to other people. It’s normal to be curious about our bodies, but looking at and touching our private parts should be done in private.
The book explains that there are times when a parent or a doctor may need to look at our private parts, but they should always explain why and ask for permission first. And if someone tries to see or touch our private parts without a valid reason, it’s not okay. We should say no, get away from that person, and tell a trusted adult what happened.
I really like this book, but I have to admit, there are a few things I wish it included. For example, it doesn’t actually name the private parts, which could be helpful. And using appropriate language is important when talking about these topics. But overall, it’s a great starting point for conversations with kids. You can fill in the gaps and add your own explanations as needed.
Remember, no book is perfect, but this one can definitely help you get the conversation started. You’ve got this!
