Only thin people can clarinet

Oct. 18

This blog was reposted during my website move. It was originally posted on Oct. 18, 2021.

I do equity & bias reviews for kids books and mostly I get hired to read for race and gender issues. But there is one area of representation that I flag in almost every book I review.

We need more fat people in kids books.

Content warning: anti-fatness and body shaming

Disclaimer: I am thin and have thin privilege and am still very much learning how to break anti-fatness both around me and internalized. One thing I've learned is to normalize and destigmatize the word 'fat'. Hope I've done right in this thread but please correct me if you find cause. Since my Twitter thread on this topic, I’ve done some reading that’s helped me realize why ‘anti-fatness’ is a better term than ‘fatphobia’, namely because ‘phobia’ is used to describe actual medical conditions and anti-fatness is an oppressive attitude, not a phobia. I obviously can’t change by Twitter thread but I am revising the words in this blog to reflect this learning.

Look at these pics. Entire communities, diverse in other ways, and not a single fat person to be found.

Do fat people go to parks? No.

But do they like to play with friends of all kinds? Also no.

Entire orchestras! But only thin people can clarinet.

Yes we can build a scooter from a log and attach literal springs to our feet, but fat kids?! Can't stretch the imagination that far.

MANY of these examples are from progressive books! I'm not talking about old ass Dick and Jane books. For some reason it’s something that just doesn’t appear on a lot of illustrators’ radars.

If you start looking you find that so many picture books exclude body diversity from their "diversity checklists" (barf).

This means that the only representation that kids who are fat see of themselves in books are the BAD ones. The problematic tropes that I won't even give examples of here because they bigtime suck. Here’s an article I love and a longer piece I wrote for Teacher Magazine that go into these.

Illustrators, please stop doing this! Draw bodies of different sizes and shapes!! And don't stop there. Vitiligo, birthmarks, stretch marks, different hair, different eyes! Sameness is so lazy and also BOOOOORING.

So, to help you stock your shelves with great fat positive books:

Princesses VS Dinosaurs

One of my all-time fave picture books. Tremendous representation on all fronts and hilarious story.

Fry Bread

Big yes to stories about food and joy without any body and food shaming.

I Really Want to Win

Another all-time fave and great teaching book. Good message, hilarious story. THIS GIRL and her belly and athletic prowess and dancing and kindness!!! I honestly can't get enough. Her FACE.

Abigail the Whale

Flips the narrative on the 'whale' taunting. Plus look at this girl, she is so friggin cute and happy. Big YES to more books with fat characters in beautiful motion and action.

Beautifully Me

I'm not usually a huge fan of books that talk at kids about lessons because they can be so boring but this one is great. Brand new, tackles the way adults perpetuate body shame in kids. Read this one together!

Our Little Kitchen

I adore this book and the great story. Also an amazing teaching book. But also a great example of how to integrate diversity throughout. My go-to portrayal of a real community.

Own Your Period

I wish I’d had this book when I was growing up. So body-loving, trans-inclusive, kind, and fun. Everyone should read this book.

Bodies are Cool

Phenomenal representation of diverse community. This one is great for even older students as there is so much richness in the lyrical text. Lots of vocabulary and detail to go along with the excellent illustrations.

The Bare Naked Book (NEW edition)

Similar to above. Super not boring book for young readers where kids get to play along, "where are your ears?" A+ diversity across the board. MUST be the new edition with illustrations by Melissa Cho.

Starfish

My one middle-grade rec and I cannot scream from the rooftops loudly enough about it. Cried on the train reading this in public. Laughed and cheered with the protag. Love, healing, joy, and finding ways to ‘starfish’ - i.e. take up space.