The Bare Naked Book

The Bare Naked Book is an updated version of the original publication released in 1986. It has evolved to include more diverse illustrations; however, the celebratory message of embracing difference remains the same.

The purpose of the book is to teach young children about their body parts in an inclusive way.
Kathy Stinson is a well-respected Canadian author who has published over 30 books for young people. As a mother, grandmother, and former teacher, she understands the importance of connecting young readers to literature that promotes diversity and inclusivity.

The Bare Naked Book talks about hair, eyes, noses, ears, teeth, tongues, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, chests and breasts, navels, genitals, bums, legs, knees, feet, toes, skin and insides. The illustrations show a wide diversity of individuals from society. The visuals by Cho differ from Collins' illustrations in the original book in that they are realistic with a playful cartoonish feel.

The brightly colored visuals on each page offer meaningful opportunities for dialogue. While reading the book to my own children, (ages 4 and 6) I asked them what they noticed on each page. This led to significant conversations surrounding wheelchair users, amputation and the purpose of wearing a turban or hijab. They both interacted with the book and enjoyed learning a bit of sign language on the page about fingers.

As an educator, I struggle with the genitals page in the updated book because I believe it is important to teach young children anatomical terms for the genitals. In an effort to move away from the rigidity of assigning penis and vagina to males and females (which was included in the 1986 book), this version of the book simply uses the term “genitals”. Penis and vagina do not have to be assigned to a specific gender; however, it is critically important for children to understand these terms in recognizing and intervening in cases of sexual abuse.

The new edition of The Bare Naked Book is current, engaging and offers a safe space for parents, caregivers, and educators to talk about human beings and their bodies.