Beautiful (hardback)

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Becky Kemps

NZ $24.99

No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart. Beautiful is a sweet story that takes Maci on a magical adventure to help her figure out what true beauty is. It turns out beauty is not quite what she expects.The self-published children's book, written and illustrated by ceramic artist Becky Kemps instills the positive message that everyone's beauty is unique and runs deeper than what is on the outside.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much but Beautiful was a wonderful surprise.

With two young daughters, for whom this book is perfectly pitched at, Kemps' message is one we try our hardest to instill. Her illustrations are bright and cheerful, encapsulating a sense of wonder and abandon that childhood - and indeed, life - should have. The story draws on experiences most children can relate to. It would be great if the story was a little less gender-typical. The message within the book is one everyone should know, but a number of children will be turned off by the overtly 'girly' aspects of the book - there's a lot of glitter, princesses and rainbows.

There's a lift-the-flap surprise at the back of the book, which delighted my younger readers. The book - both story and illustrations - sparked some wonderful conversations and deeper questions. The concept of 'beauty' is an abstract concept for children to grasp, but Kemp helps readers learn about what beautiful really means.