Children’s Book: The ABC’s of TOB

When I first became interested in the Theology of the Body, I never thought about how it could relate to toddlers and small children. But as time has passed, and as I watch the changes unfold in our culture related to gender issues and same sex relationships, I see now how important it is becoming to introduce even the smallest of bodies to these foundational truths.

“Every body is a gift. God made us to love. We do this with our bodies!”

This is a quote from new children’s book Every Body is a Gift by Monica Ashour. Ms. Ashour is a sought-after national speaker on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and founder of TOBET (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team). She recently released two series of children’s books designed to give little bodies the building blocks of TOB.

Published through Pauline Media, the “TOB for Tots” and “TOB for Kids” series both include three titles to help children understand and grow in appreciation for God’s plan for human life and love.

“TOB for Tots” includes the titles Everybody Has a Body, Every Body is a Gift, and Every Body is Smart. These books were designed for children ages 2-5 and introduce concepts such as: God created boys and girls differently, our bodies are a gift to express love, and our bodies help us to know who we are.

The “TOB for Kids” series was designed for children ages 4-7 and includes the titles God has a Plan for Boys and Girls; Everybody has Something to Give; and Every Body has Something to Say. These books build on the first set by presenting the same themes in greater detail. For example, in God has a Plan for Boys and Girls the author discusses that boys and girls have many similarities but are not the same; after which the author writes that only girls can grow up to be wives, moms or sisters and only boys can grow up to be husbands, fathers or priests.

As fundamental as learning our ABCs and 1-2-3’s, is getting right the lesson about the birds and the bees! Introducing the basic principles of TOB to young children will give them the foundation they need to understand the virtue of chastity later on in their teenage years. It all starts here with the lessons of the value of the body, our gift of self to others (all done with our bodies) and God’s gift of self to us.

Check out the books for yourself here. They deserve to be in your children’s or grandchildren’s stack of book right next to the ones that teach about the alphabet, colors, cars and trucks, animals, etc.

— Sarah Drew
Assistant Editor