Adorable story and wonderful illustrations. Perfect book to read to children to teach them that everyone is different!

Rissy is an adorable baby lovebird who...doesn't like to give kisses?  What?  But hey, Rissy, it's okay that you don't like giving kisses, you have your own way of showing affection!  Tells a great story about body autonomy in a way kids can understand with adorable characters and easily to understand language.

This book really spoke to me as a kid that didn't like having to give hugs and kisses to people.  I'm glad that we're starting to allow our kids to make their own decisions about who and when to touch or be touched.  It would have made my childhood a whole lot easier.

Rissy is a sweet little lovebird who doesn't like kisses.  Yes, you heard correctly... does NOT like kisses.  How can that possibly be?  After all she is a lovebird?  Her friends and family think that perhaps she is sick, confused or just being down right rude.  Poor Rissy how can she make those around her understand that kisses are just not her thing? 

This heartfelt book highlights the message that everyone is different and that one's body, feelings and heart belongs to them alone and are to be respected by others.  Rissy explains that she does like affection but  how it is received and by whom it is given should be up to her.  She certainly has boundaries and she desires that others adhere to her wishes.  She feels she should give her consent and that it not be assumed that she likes kisses just because she is a lovebird. 

 The rhyming is fun and the watercolored illustrations are truly adorable.  This book will be a great conversation starter regarding acceptance, respect and consent.  Notes at the end of the book provide further information and help for kids, parents, and educators.  I highly recommend this book.

Rissy No Kissies is the story of Rissy the Lovebird who doesn't like kisses. It is a beautifully written and illustrated story telling the message that we must respect others wishes. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for my ARC.

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A great example of what consent and setting boundaries can look like shown through a very emphatic little lovebird.

This book was very cute. I liked that the text was rhythmic and short. I appreciate the trend in picture books now talking about bodily autonomy for kids.  It did feel a little forced have all the examples of "No Kissy" but it did not come across as overly didactic as so many of these books do. I would definitely give this to families who wanted to talk about bodily autonomy with their kids along with the book "Can I Give You a Squish?"

At the beginning (including reading the title), I was amazed. The illustration is so cute that I want to cuddle Rissy! But, it is true that what I perceived as good is not the same as others. They might have different feels about things and we have to respect that. Human tend to make fun of people who are not the same as themselves. They bullied and make others life miserable.

Through this book, kids are taught to respect others preference. I was bullied as a kid, and I can attest that it was a nightmare to go to school. So anything that helps reduce hurting each other is a big help to reassure that less kids will suffer.

First, the illustrations in this book are darling, and I love the characters being lovebirds. This book is a great read to show kids that they don't have to show affection unwillingly and that nothing is wrong with that. It shows them how to speak up for themselves and ask their parents questions when they think that maybe they aren't "normal". A very important read for young children. Perfect for preschoolers and kindergartners.

I really enjoyed this book. As a non-affectionate person myself, I really connected with Rissy. I have definitely been through all the things that Rissy went through and I think this is a really good book to let people know that just because they like kisses or hugs, doesn't mean that everyone should like kisses or hugs, and it shouldn't be forced upon people.

Rissy No Kissies is an incredible book. It shows readers that everybody expresses love and appreciation in different ways and that is okay. Specifically I was thrilled to see a book teaching consent and setting boundaries in scenarios that children deal with daily. Personally I was very much like Rissy growing up I didn't like to be hugged or my back rubbed when I was upset. When others did those things  it would make me more upset and I felt uncomfortable similarly to Rissy. If I need a hug I would say it, and my parents knew this but not everyone had the same boundaries. I didn't know how to say I don't like that or how to set those boundaries and express what I felt. I was afraid that people would lash out or be sad and upset. I didn't want people to look at me differently. I knew these things were coming from a place of love at that age and I didn't want others to feel unappreciated or unwanted. Just like Rissy when her grandmother tried to kiss her when she bumped her head, and she said no and her grandmother said she needed manners. In the last few pages I was proud to see that the author encouraged care givers to learn and teach body autonomy, boundaries, consent, and sensory processing. As the author mentioned it is never too early to teach these things. I feel as if many people don't realize or don't understand the importance of these concepts and how their understanding or lack thereof them will affect children later on. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and wish to see more like it.

I really appreciated this book about consent, especially when it comes to children and what may make them uncomfortable. I would definitely read this with my students in any SEL study about consent.

Finally a well done book that touches on consent and boundaries! This book is about Rissy who is a  bird that does not like kisses. However when stating "RISSY NO KISSES" friends and family call her mean and rude. When Rissy talks to mama love bird Rissy learns that it is okay to say no to kisses and doesn't have to do anything she feels uncomfortable with. 0

When reading this to my 5 year old daughter I really felt that she got the concept. She showed her emotions in the proper spots of the book such as sad when Rissy was being called rude and happy when told it's her body and can say no to anything she is uncomfortable with. She also loved how vibrant and well done the illustrations were and kept her attention well. 

There is something for the parents here as well! A really awesome discussion guide that makes it easy to talk about sometimes sensitive topics such as boundaries and consent. This is a great book to pick up! 

Thank you Netgalley, Lerner Publishing group Katey Howes and Jess Engle for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The writing had a great rhythm and the illustrations were a cute watercolor style. The messaging regarding boundaries, consent, and loving yourself for who you are really wrapped this book up in a refreshing way.

I enjoyed the way this book approaches the concept of body autonomy. The little love bird is thought to be quite strange because it doesn't like to be kissed. The poor bird is even accused of being rude and unkind. The little love bird eventually learns to show affection to others in a way that is comfortable.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This sweet little book is done very well. With colorful pictures, the book is written in a way that helps adults talk to children about boundaries with their bodies. It is tactful, discreet, and respectful.

This was an excellent book for kids, especially in today's social and political climate. It very sweetly describes how someone's body is their own to make decisions about, and how to ask for consent and respect others. I really liked the rhyming verses, and the message was loud and clear while still being a very sweet and kind story. I would definitely recommend this book. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a Consent Educator and I adore this book.
Consent is not as straight-forward as "yes" and "no." Navigating body-boundaries means navigating social-emotional interactions empathically, respectfully, and with a sensitivity for individual differences.

With such sweetness and attention to developmental appropriateness, the author shows how consent can look when done well, when done not-so-well, and what it means to respect others' choices and preferences.

My favorite line, "Your body and your heart are yours and you choose how to share." Such a powerful message of bodily autonomy that I know I wish I had as a child.

Highly recommend for ages 2-6!

I was granted complimentary access to an eARC of Rissy No Kissies by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rissy No Kissies is a cute little storybook for preschool through primary grade aged children about a little lovebird named Rissy who doesn't like being kissed. All of her family and friends this she's weird, rude, or sick because "Everyone knows all lovebirds love kisses," and this makes Rissy feel out of place. Rissy is assured that it's okay not to like kisses, she's still a lovebird, and there are so many other ways she can show her friends and family that she cares.

This book presents the important themes of consent, neurodiversity, and appropriate ways to show affection in ways that small kids will be able to understand. It fits a wide variety of situations, from instilling a strong sense of physical privacy and consent in young children of all sorts to possibly reassuring kids with / explaining about kids with autism and other differences that lead to different sensory difficulties and preferences. I can see this book being used by parents, daycare caregivers and school teachers alike to teach these important lessons. 

The watercolour illustrations are absolutely beautiful, as well!

Everyone knows Lovebirds are fond of kissing, and being kissed. Duh! But not Rissie. She doesn't want ANY kissies. Not from anyone.

And everyone wants to give her kissies. But she rebuffs them all, with a startling "no".

In the end she has to explain to a small crowd of family and friends that she likes to show affection in other ways, and to please respect her boundaries, thank you. And Rissie is of course right.

The book represents the idea that anyone's consent is important and final, in a clear way, with accompanying funny/cute pictures.

I, for one, will now use 'kissies' instead of dreary old 'kisses'.