""To build a world that works for everyone, we must first make the radical decision to love every facet of ourselves. . . . 'The body is not an apology' is the mantra we should all embrace." -Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar and founder and Executive Director, African American Policy Forum"-- "Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with...

Illustrations and easy-to-read text remind the reader that no matter what happens or how one feels, he or she matters.

"A giraffe struggles to feel comfortable with his neck"--

Even when the class bully at her new school makes fun of her, Molly remembers what her grandmother told her and she feels good about herself.

Shy and unsure of herself, Leila discovers all the things that make her special with the loving help of her Naani.

Offers advice to help parents guide teenage girls to recognize and reject perfectionist messages that lead to self-doubt, unfulfilling relationships, and fears of failure, and teach them self-compassion, how to take healthy risks, and the importance of finding support. "For many girls today, the drive to achieve is fueled by brutal self-criticism and an acute fear of failure. Though young women have never been more 'successful'--outpacing boys in...

"For the past decade, Tara Schuster worked like hell to repair the emotional wounds inflicted during what she refers to as her neglected, "mess-wreck disaster" of a childhood. She brought radical self-care, healing rituals, and self-love into her life, and on most days, she was a grateful, happy, and stable adult. She even wrote a book about it! But then she lost her job, the one on which she had staked her entire adult identity. Cue an out-of-body-panic-attack-doom-spiral...

Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother pressure her to attend the Royal Magic Academy -- the best magic school in the realm -- even though her magic is shaky at best. To train for her entrance exams, Sophie is sent to relatives she's never met. Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan seem more interested in giving Sophie chores than in teaching her magic. Frustrated, Sophie attempts magic on her own, but the spell goes wrong, and she accidentally...

"A sweet and silly buffalo who tries to bluff and fluff his way into being bigger than he really is"--

Brown explores the psychology of releasing our definitions of an 'imperfect' life and embracing living authentically. In a world where insults, criticisms, and fears are spread too generously alongside messages of unrealistic beauty, attainment, and expectation, she provides ten 'guideposts' that can help anyone establish a practice for a life of honest beauty-- a perfectly imperfect life.