B Is for Bellies

In this upbeat alphabet book, the creators use the ABCs to offer up body-related affirmations. From A to Z, each letter stands for a word relating to human physicality: B is for “bellies,” L represents “listening,” and S references “sizes.” Throughout, boldly hued, stylized cartoons from Saine picture beings with various abilities, body types, gender presentations, and skin tones. Individuals, including some using eye patches and mobility aids, are shown at rest and in movement—dancing, playing, and hitting the beach. Dyball’s straightforward rhyming quatrains, meanwhile, each explain a core component of embodiment, often including references to interpersonal and social conceits: “U is for understanding/ that differences reign./ It would be awfully boring/ if we all looked the same.” Language that acknowledges experiential subjectivity (e.g., “Movement can feel great!”) may prompt reader questions about individual experience, starting conversations about emotional, mental, and physical health. This bustling book leaves readers with the knowledge that there are “zillions/... of reasons to love yourself—/inside and out.” Ages 4–8. (July)