Parents' Guide to

Beautifully Me

By Carrie Kingsley, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Family remembers what beauty really is in kind, joyful tale.

Book Nabela Noor Picture Book 2021
Beautifully Me Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

Young Bangladeshi girl Zubi is excited for her first day of school in BEAUTIFULLY ME, but that excitement becomes confusion and sadness as she listens to people criticizing their bodies all day long. Her mom looks in the mirror and dislikes her stomach; her dad said his larger size is not good, and her sister announces she's on a diet so she can be beautiful for a dance. At school a girl is called fat when her dress billows up. Zubi is crushed by all this judgment and starts thinking she's fat, too. But when she finally tells her family her fears, they help her realize that a beautiful person is someone who embraces who they are and helps others do the same.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The delicate issue of body image becomes a wonderful focus on kindness, expressed in lovely, plain language easy for young readers to understand. Beautifully Me takes an issue that's often difficult to talk about honestly and turns it into a positive conversation, augmented by artist Nabi's colorful, expressive illustrations. What's lovely is how Zubi's family responds: full of kindness and an awareness of how their words impact others, and a clear message that beauty is found in how we make other people feel and the things we do as we move through the world together.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Zubi feels when she overhears people's comments about their bodies in Beautifully Me. Have you ever heard people say things like that? How did it make you feel?

  • Keeping in mind what Zubi's parents say about how beauty is in how you make others feel, how would you describe yourself?

  • Who is a person you admire?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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