Curves Like Mine

As a plus-size woman who grew up hating her body and wondering why I never looked like the other kids around me, why everyone seemed to judge me after every step I took, looking for some type of positive representation just to make me feel heard, I absolutely adore this book.

Curves Like Mine is a beautiful book on self-love for children who are a little curvier than their peers. It discusses bullying and self-doubt, then reassurance, familial love, and how that kind of support can lead to self-love. Diggs did an excellent job capturing what it feels like to be a bigger girl surrounded by thinner bodies.

The only other thing I would have liked to see in this book is the representation for the plus-sized boys as well and add a little more plus-sized students walking around the halls, smiling and happy and getting more confidence from being around the little girl. I feel that would have brought a more powerful image for kids as well. simply because there's power in numbers.

Otherwise, I think the story is great and the art is beautiful. As a preschool teacher, I can definitely see myself reading this story to my children and how I would do so. I knew they would be more supportive, and I'd even use myself as an example and I just know that the book would encourage empathy and support from the children.

Beautiful. It’s a must read for all girls school and maybe for all adults as well. Great message. Positive reinforcement.

"You are a new, rare kind of beauty and everybody knows."

This was TOO CUTE. A beautiful, school-age girl struggles with her aesthetic features while her mother assures her that true beauty lies within. This truly beautiful little girl learns to love herself. Written in cute poetic format without stanzas and with illlustrations that are bright and colorful. Pertinent to note that many ethnicities and nationalities are represented within the child's school.

10/10. This needs to be in every elementary school library.

A young girl feels judged, othered, and picked on because of her body type, but with the help of her loving, supportive mother she learns to accept and celebrate herself exactly as she is and rethink the meaning of beauty.

Body diversity and positivity are so rare in children's books and I'm thrilled to have another resource to introduce the topic to students. That said, I'm not entirely sure about the descriptor of "curvy" for a prepubescent girl--to me it implies a more adult figure. But, the meaning and usage of the term could definitely be in flux, especially since there isn't much precedent for discussing this topic with young people.

This would definitely make a great addition to school and classroom libraries for pre-K and elementary. Kids always benefit from seeing themselves on the page, and the positive message of this story applies to everyone.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Curves Like Mine is a charmingly illustrated picture book about a girl who is letting other people's opinions about her body affect the way she feels. Her mom makes sure she knows that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, prompting her to carry herself with more confidence, affecting the way her peers treat her. A great story to help all kids appreciate their friends or their personal differences from peers.

Positive affirmation in children’s books, yes please!! This (recent) trend of publishing more diverse books is also one that I applaud, I don’t remember seeing anything other than able bodied white kids in my books when I grew up. But this representation is so important, especially in books with a message like this one.

The art style, I love it! It’s so soft, but you can still clearly see the emotions on the girl’s face. My favorite page was the one where the girl was in bed saying “my curves are beautiful” to herself, it’s such a simple page but so lovely.

Overall definitely a recommendation for anyone with small children.

I love book about body positive! This short story is written in simple language so that even small children can follow it.
The story is simple, yet it is still adorable and meaningful. This is a nice story about learning to love and accept yourself despite of what others say, since true beauty comes from within. I really like the book's message and the artwork is just stunning.

This book was so lovely !! It has a beautiful message for children, and one that we can all learn from. Lovely rhyming and easy to read. I highly recommend!

"True beauty comes from within, it's your mindset that makes you win". What a beautiful and heartfelt message.

It's our job as parents and educators to help build and encourage our children's self-esteem growth. This is a beautifully illustrated book that talks about learning to love yourself and projecting yourself the right way. We are all beautiful regardless of our shape, color and size, but we have to love ourselves first in order for others to love us as well.

This is an adorable picture book! I love how we're having more and more diverse picture books. Curves Like Mine is about a young girl who starts to realize she is bigger than all the other kids. She starts to feel down and sad, and her mom notices. Her mom encourages her to say positive affirmations in the morning, and this helps the little girl gain confidence.
I love the message of this story so much! I’m so happy to find a picture book that actually talks about something real. I was also really happy that her mom was the one helping her. Hopefully, that will encourage kids to talk to their parents about feeling different. Even though I loved the message of the story, I didn’t enjoy the illustrations as much. I have liked other illustrations more such as Eyes that Kiss in the Corners. While I enjoyed the book, I personally would not recommend someone to do self affirmations. But I still think it was a lovely little book that can be helpful to any little kid who feels different.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

What a good message of self-love and confidence! Cute art, a good length and message, and an endearing character. Good all around.

I am so glad a book like this exists!
It is so important for kids to realise that being curvy or fat isn't bad, despite anyone saying otherwise.
The rhyming prose of this book made it simple to read. The artwork was stunning, and I loved the mum of this book, too.
A wonderful book for children to learn self love and acceptance.

Thank you, net galley for the arc. This book was beautifully illustrated and the message is wonderful for not only the younger crowd but a sentiment for the older generation still struggling.

Mothers and older women be this understanding when it comes to reassuring the younger ones to be who they are. We are the ones who should not criticize them for their appearance and not encourage others to do the same. An uplifting read and a must have in schools and at homes.

Thank you, author and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

This book is so important and so special, every little girl should read this and know that they are perfect no matter how they look. Its such a wonderful book and It’s so special to read about a little girl learning to love herself.

This is a great little book with a message about loving yourself. This is a children’s book that tackles lifelong issues. This is a great starter for further discussions. Cute illustrations. Recommended!

I am not a huge fan of children's books, but this one was lovely. I have always been towards the thinner side, and I have faced lots of body shaming in that sense. But this book opened me up on what plump kids have to face. It is a simple story with lessons on positivity, acceptance, tolerance, and self talk. I quite loved the way the words rhymed (I really enjoyed that as a kid.) Another part that I loved is how people accept you once you start loving yourself. The illustrations by Sofi Butusov were memorable and colorful. I think this book will be appealing to children.

Reviewing via advanced copy from NetGalley:

This book has an amazing message that I needed as a child. It's so important to be told that you are beautiful and your curves are okay. The illustrations are so cute and make it an easy read.

As an educator, however, there are a few pages that have too many words for a child, but overall great book and great message.

5☆ An Empowering and Uplifting Picture Book that encourages self love.

Curves Like Mine is a beautiful children's book I wish was around when I was growing up. As I was that child and still am as an adult with curves. Children can be so cruel when things appear different to them.

This picture books shines a much needed light that it's ok to be different and to embrace yourself, it promotes body positivity and self love. By gosh we all need some self love right now with everything that's going on with the pandemic!

I think it doesn't matter how old you are body image can start very very young. So it's so so important to teach children to embrace their differences at a very young age.
It's not OK to bully or make fun of people and unfortunately it does start from a young age so I think this little book is a wonderful starting point to show children that we need to be kind and thoughtful to each other.

It also can help parents, as the Mum in the book was teaching her daughter how to be more accepting of her body and how beauty isn't just what's on the outside, beauty also comes from within.

As you can see I highly recommend this empowering children's picture book for ages 3+

I love the message in this beautiful book! And I seriously think we need more books like this as the body is getting crazier each day on social media. I love the colour palette and the illustrations. Great work.

I absolutely love Curves Like Mine by Krystaelynne Sanders Diggs! It’s a sweet mother-daughter story about where true beauty comes from. The illustrations are beautiful. I highly recommend this book! I think this book would be perfect for any type of story time, but especially for a mother-daughter time. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. (My review is also on Goodreads.)

This book made my son tear up as I read it to him. Every kid needs to hear the message that they are worthy and loved no matter what. Thank you for this story.

'Curves Like Mine' focuses on a young girl finding beauty, and acceptance in her body image.

I really enjoyed reading this book. As a trainee teacher I believe it would be a really insightful book for pupils ages 6 and under, but also useful for older pupils as topics such as body image, acceptance, and beauty can be discussed from hooking pupils in with this story.

Rated: 4 stars

Thank you to netgallery for allowing me to read this truly beautiful story.

This is a wonderful book for all kids because not everyone looks the same and kids need to know and understand that it's okay if you don't look like everyone else around you.

A book of empowerment and self love!

Something I wholeheartedly applaud, a lovely, empowering and positive book! This book focuses on a child embracing themselves and shines the light onto body positivity which I really think is a good step for children aged 5+ to find acceptance in themselves especially as there is already such negativity surrounding apps that encourage filters and then of course social media platforms too, children obviously see these and learn from us, we all know adults can be so cruel and this doesn't so this book really encouraging.

I thought that the art work was pretty nice as well and the style and structure of the book just really helped it flow!

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this free ARC in return for my review, thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommend it!

*I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

An original and uplifting book for children!

I enjoyed the rhyming and message in this book. The illustrations are nice with bright colors. It is always good to teach self-love to children early on, chubby or not. If your kid is a little pudgy, then this would be a helpful and thoughtful gift!

"Curves Like Mine" is a deeply empowering and beautifully illustrated book that celebrates self-love and acceptance, especially for children who may feel different due to their size or appearance.

As a plus-size woman who has faced the challenges of growing up feeling judged and misunderstood, I resonated deeply with the themes explored in this book. Diggs masterfully captures the emotions of bullying, self-doubt, and the journey towards self-love with sensitivity and authenticity.

The story follows a young girl navigating the complexities of being curvier than her peers, grappling with feelings of inadequacy and longing for acceptance. Through the unwavering support of her family, she learns to embrace her uniqueness and celebrate her curves with confidence.

One of the most powerful aspects of "Curves Like Mine" is its portrayal of familial love and support as a catalyst for self-acceptance. The bond between the protagonist and her family members serves as a source of strength and reassurance, reminding readers that they are worthy of love and respect just as they are.

While the book primarily focuses on the experiences of plus-sized girls, I couldn't help but wish for more representation of plus-sized boys as well. Additionally, incorporating scenes of diverse body types among the student body would have added to the book's impact, emphasizing the importance of solidarity and inclusivity.

Nevertheless, the story's message of embracing one's uniqueness and finding beauty from within shines brightly through its heartfelt narrative and stunning illustrations. "Curves Like Mine" serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for children of all sizes, reminding them that they are perfect just the way they are.