I’m always looking for new inclusive and educational books to read with my kids and recommend to others. This was comprehensive and inclusive without being boring or over-explained. I love the illustrations and feel that it is a great stepping stone to a health curriculum or learning more about different types of people and love in the world

Awesome resource for homeschool or any parent really. It’s meant to be read aloud by parents to younger kids, so the vocab isn’t always on a child level. Other resources may be better for kids to read alone but as a teaching resource for small children this is perfect.

Explains the topics very well with excellent illustrations to accompany the text. Not too long but packed with enough information to give a thorough exploration of the topic, and it's one that I would (and likely will) happily share with my children.

This book is such a valuable resource for teaching kids about consent. The author does a great job at presenting age appropriate information and applying consent to a variety of circumstances. It is inclusive of different genders, sexuality, race, and disability. It truly is for "every body". I am looking forward to using this book in conjunction with the previous "Every Body Book" to teach my kids. Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette UK | Jessica Kingsley Publishers for this ARC.

This is an amazing collection of information that grants access to a lot of definitions that can be difficult to understand and/or explain. I do believe that we are very transparent parents but I don't think that this would be something I'd give my child until 11 or 12ish because it can be a lot to digest. But I loved that it focused on autonomy, which is so important, especially in today's world.

An incredibly powerful read about consent for young people of all experiences.

"You are the best expert on you" is a perfect summary of consent, and some of the best advice you can give someone when it comes to other matters about their body too.

There's a great section on intersex children and disabilities, as well as how mobility aids like wheelchairs are an extension of someone's body.

I love that it includes instructions and examples of how to ask for consent, as well as how to take back consent when you change your mind.

It's so important to include that consent extends to privacy and information too.

My only concern is how the chapter on secrets does not consider situations where someone trustworthy asks a child to keep a secret to protect them, like plans to escape an abusive household or other nuanced issues. Instead, it says that a trustworthy person will never ask you to keep a secret.

Finally, I love the advice on being an upstander instead of a bystander. The author is cautious about whether it's safe but provides really powerful examples.

Noah Grigni illustrated The Every Body Book of Consent. The drawings are clear and engaging. They correspond to the text perfectly. The characters are diverse across all spectrums.

My confusion came to the actual text and the reading level the book is meant for. I actually went and tracked down where I could find the age group of this book and it is for 8-12 year olds. The vocabulary is what made me chase information. I think it’s a bit higher than the reading level it is meant for. An eight-year-old would really struggle with the terminology. The book is meant for parents/guardians to read with a younger reader and that could be why the author didn’t worry about language because they assumed the adult would know how to pronounce the word or know what the word means.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers put out another book with missing letters for review (such as Pride Families). This time there were no “a” or “e”s in the text. Most of the time I felt like I was trying to decipher coded text. I preserved because consent is such an important conversation to have.

The overall messages the book promotes and educates on are awesome and necessary. I just wish more care had been given to who the reader is and their understanding of the terminology given to explain such an important subject.

Consent is simultaneously a simple concept and a complicated one. The Every Body Book of Consent is simultaneously a plain language/easy read explanation of consent and a deeply thought provoking text. There are clear explanations and inclusive language through out. There are even scripts that individuals can use to help express and revoke consent in various contexts. This is an important read for all ages. I also loved the various illustrations reflecting a variety of human experience.

I think this is a very good resource for kids and honestly even teenagers to learn important topics based around consent and boundaries, both in general and for certain activities. It is very clearly explained, and quite inclusive, touching on disability, queerness, and even intersexual folks.

It is a book I wish I had had as a child, and I'm glad it exists.

‘The Every Body Book of Consent’ by Rachel Simon is a crucial and timely resource for educating children about the importance of consent. This book aims to empower young readers with knowledge about personal boundaries and respectful interactions.

Accuracy: ★★★★☆
The book is highly accurate in its presentation of information regarding consent. Rachel Simon does an excellent job of ensuring that the content is clear, factual, and accessible to children. It covers essential aspects of consent in a straightforward and understandable manner.

Perspective: ★★★★☆
‘The Every Body Book of Consent’ covers a wonderful range of topics, offering a great perspective for children. It addresses various scenarios and questions children might have about consent, making it a comprehensive guide. The approach is thoughtful and age-appropriate, providing valuable lessons on respect and personal boundaries.

Relevance: ★★★★★
This book is, unfortunately, an incredibly relevant read. In today's world, teaching children about consent is more important than ever. Simon's book fills a critical need for educational resources that help young readers understand their rights and the importance of respecting others.

Engagement: ★★★★☆
Engagement is average. While the content is essential, children may not be entirely captivated by it. The book could perhaps have been posed in a more engaging manner to hold the interest of young readers better. However, it remains a valuable educational tool despite this.

Readability: ★★★★☆
Readability is decent. The language is clear and appropriate for the target age group, making it easy for children to understand the concepts being discussed. The book is structured well, but it could benefit from a bit more dynamism in its presentation to keep young readers engaged.

Enjoyment: ★★★★☆
Enjoyment is quite decent. While the subject matter is serious, Simon's approach ensures that the book is still accessible and not overwhelming for children. It strikes a good balance between being informative and approachable, making it a useful and enjoyable read.

‘The Every Body Book of Consent’ by Rachel Simon is a valuable resource for educating children about the importance of consent. Its highly accurate and relevant content, combined with a thoughtful perspective and decent readability, makes it an essential addition to any child's library. While it may not be the most engaging book for young readers, its importance and educational value cannot be overstated.

What an amazing book for tweens. If I had the money I would put a copy of this book into the hands of every middle school counselor. It speaks right on the age level of grades 5-8, maybe grade 4, depending on the maturity of the student. Everything is explained well and not in a way that would make a child uncomfortable, but they would feel informed and empowered.

"Consent, just like trust, isn't something you get from someone and have forever."

I like to read LGBTQAI-inclusive books for kids sometimes, because I didn't have any of those given to me when I was a kid. This book deals with the topic of consent, which goes far beyond sexual consent - it can be as simple as not wanting somebody to hug you, which is something kids often don't get a choice about.

I think this book was good at explaining consent and agency in an easy-to-understand way, but you definitely need an adult to go along with the kid, because there were a couple of bigger concepts that weren't really explained. For example, there was a practice part where it just told you to practice "waiting your turn and feeling impatient (delaying gratification, impulse control)". I feel like delaying gratification is a complicated word and concept that should be explained a bit more than just throwing it out in brackets?! But nothing, it's not even part of the glossary at the end. I also expected more practice exercises after that, but there weren't any.

What I really liked is that the book refers to "trusted adults" as opposed to parents, since not everyone has parents, or their parents might not be trusted adults. I do feel like the concept could have been "explained" a bit more and sooner.

The illustrations were very nice, colorful, pleasing to the eye, and most of all they presented a diverse range of people in ability, race and gender. I liked that in the section about pronouns, the appearance of the speaker didn't always match what you would associate with that pronoun - for example, a typically feminine kid was saying he likes to use both he and she pronouns.

As a queer psychology student who intends to work with children later, this is such an incredible and necessary book. I am going to buy a copy later if it's ever translated into my 1st language because it is a must-have in a therapist's office.

This is very well done and informative, I love the fact that a lot of different types of bodies are included (especially the parts about intersex, pronouns and wheelchair users). Please put it into school libraries and gift it to parents and children, it is necessary and amazingly done.

Excellent. Reviews bodily autonomy and consent as general concepts, and teaching consent and boundaries across of variety of situations. The entire book discusses these concepts in a respectful, affirming way, without any feeling of secret or shame that some may have around bodies or sexuality.

It also includes the more anticipated consent situations around physical touch, but focuses on scenarios like kissing or hugging which makes it have a broader appeal and application across ages.
I was glad to see concepts like enthusiastic consent and withdrawing consent discussed, and that consenting once or to one act does not mean consent in the future or to other acts.

It was an excellent touch to Include multiple examples of people declining physical touch and showing respectful responses. I love that we saw examples of MM, MF, FF, FM pairings so we could see how declining and accepting the response can occur across all combinations of relationships.
It was fantastic to have a section on how to respond if someone does not consent (e.g., to kissing, holding hands, etc.) and validate feeling hurt or disappointed without pressuring or shaming the individual who told you no.

Touches briefly on important but less universal consent situations certain populations experience like medical procedures on intersex infants, which further builds understanding of consent.
I appreciated the discussion of verbal consent and nonverbal cues, and how gaining consent may vary between individuals with different methods of communication and some neurodiverse individuals who may not realize nonverbal social cues. Additionally, including a review of violating consent of someone who uses mobility aids like a wheelchair was discussed, which was fantastic.

Incredibly inclusive in the art styles, with individuals of different genders, size, race, disability, cultural clothing, etc. all being shown throughout.

Highly recommend! I’m interested in looking at the other book about bodies from the author as well.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. I am providing my honest review.

Such a clear book about consent, with a kind, considerate and non-judgemental tone.

The illustrations are particularly beautiful and really diverse. I think it would be great resource for children.

While there's a lot of important information packed into this book, its delivery falls short in several ways.  First, it just doesn't seem likely to appeal to actual kids - the pages are dense with small text and would really benefit from some graphic design to break things up with side panels, etc.  The exception to this is the illustrations, particularly those with speech bubbles showing concrete examples of the concepts discussed; I suspect many kids will just skip through the book looking for the pictures.

In addition, without more structure to the writing, it's hard to pick out the key takeaways.  A short review or questions for discussion at the end of each chapter would have been a helpful addition.  Important terms are also sometimes lost among unnecessarily complex vocabulary; for example, on page 17 of the digital ARC, the list of ways to practice consent includes "waiting for your turn and feeling impatient (delaying gratification, impulse control)" which not only seems like a confusing example without providing more detail (e.g. waiting for your turn on the swing instead of pushing your friend off), but inexplicably introduces two phrases that are never defined anywhere or mentioned again.  There's also no table of contents, which I'm hoping is just an oversight in the ARC I received.

Despite that, I did notice the choice to place all discussion of disability in an unnumbered "Special Section" chapter on "Diverse Minds and Bodies," which I find problematic in several ways. First, it suggests this information is somehow more skippable, not deserving of inclusion in the "real" chapters but merely bonus content between chapters 2 and 3.  Much of this information would have fit in easily elsewhere; for example, the discussion of consent across communication barriers would have been perfect to include in chapter 3 when verbal and nonverbal consent are defined.  (Those terms are used in the special section before they're explicitly defined later on, further confirming my suspicion that this part was tacked on as an afterthought.)

There's also some problematic wording in this section, such as opening the whole discussion of non-physical disabilities with the statement, "If someone has a type of intellectual disability that makes it hard to get verbal consent, it is still important to be as clear as possible with what you are asking and offering" (p27).  I'm not sure why "intellectual disability" is being used as a catch-all term here - not all people with intellectual disabilities are nonspeaking, and not all nonspeaking people have intellectual disabilities, yet the two continue to be conflated throughout the next few paragraphs.  It makes me wonder if there was originally some discussion here about mental capacity to give consent (in which case the specific case of intellectual disability would be relevant), but if so that was taken out.  I also don't love that so much of this section is framed around helping to care for disabled people, without any acknowledgement that they can also participate in mutually fulfilling friendships, romantic relationships, etc. 

All of that said, there is some really helpful, nuanced information in this book that kids need to hear - topics like power dynamics, handling rejection, recognizing grooming behavior, contrasting secrets vs. surprises and private information, being an upstander and noting that it's sometimes NOT safe to be one (such as intervening when adults are fighting), exploring gendered societal expectations for sexual behavior, and even brief age-appropriate discussions of sexting and porn.  I just wish it was presented in a way that's more likely to engage its intended audience.

Overall, I think this book may be most useful as a resource for adults, providing language to start these important conversations rather than trying to get kids to actually read it themselves.  For some books that may be more appealing to this age group, I suggest checking out "Welcome to Consent: How to Say No, When to Say Yes, and How to Be the Boss of Your Body" by Yumi Stynes and Dr. Melissa Kang, and "Wait, What? A Comic Book Guide to Relationships, Bodies, and Growing Up" by Heather Corinna and Isabella Rotman.

This book should be read by all, no matter the age or gender or background, because consent is such an important topic.

This subject was addressed the right way, with dos and don'ts, with good examples and bad examples.
There's a lot of information, but it can be read easily. It's writing in clear and concise language.

I love the inclusion shown in this book, which is also super important.

Books like this are so incredibly important to have for our children. When it comes to consent, we HAVE to teach our children properly. Not only will this help them protect themselves in the future, but it will also help them be respectful of and protect others. 
 
This book covers the importance of teaching children consent. They clearly explain what content is and what it is not. It talked about types of consent and how sometimes others have to consent for you (parents for their children). This book clearly explains things like boundaries, agency, things we need to give or get consent for, etc. 
 
One of the things I love the most about this is that it talks about consent with disabled people. How some people may or may not be able to provide verbal consent and how we can try to identify consent non-verbally. This book also talks about consent with physical disabilities, such as someone in a wheelchair; we can't just push them around without their clear consent. It also talks about some people with intellectual disabilities who cannot understand consent. As well, it talks about autistic people who may have more difficulty understanding consent and might not be aware they are doing something, such as touching (not sexually), without consent.
 
I also love how this book talks about how to identify grooming. It is so important to teach our children about inappropriate behaviour from others, especially older ones, so that they can avoid something very dangerous. Being able to identify inappropriate behaviours in seemingly safe adults can be life-saving. 
 
This book also covers sexual consent, and this may seem a bit much for younger children, but it's definitely something that needs to be taught at some point. As young children grow and develop and they hit puberty, they go through lots of sexual changes and challenges, and being prepared for that time in their life is essentially to having a safe and healthy life. 
 
I absolutely recommend this for all parents and caregivers looking for a clear, informative, and safe book to help teach their children about consent.

I think every child should read this book. It is alot about boundaries and consent and how to set them. You can tell a child about what is allowed and what isnt but the illustrations in this book tell it in a way children can relate, It goes into how to say no and with peer pressure these days it is hard for children to do and not follow the crowd. I think every child from 6 up should read this book even pre teens and teens. I highly recommend it for libraries and home libraries.

This is the kind of book that parents and kids should read together maybe pre-teen. This is a great resource for both parents and kids and is written in a way that’s easy to comprehend. It talks about consent and gives great, relatable examples.