Ashley Graham made her literary debut with her memoir, A New Model, in 2017, but her journey in publishing didn’t end there. The 36-year-old supermodel has now introduced her first children’s book, A Kids Book About Beauty. Geared towards children aged five to nine, this book aims to nurture their confidence, self-love, and “belief in both their inner and outer beauty,” per the book’s online description.
In a recent interview with ABC News, Graham shared that the book’s introduction begins with an unexpected dedication: one to her nine-year-old self. She also said that although the book is aimed at children in the single digits, adults can still find valuable insights within its pages. Below, we delve into the highlights from their conversation.
Reflecting on the Dedication…
“I did dedicate A Kids Book About Beauty to my nine-year-old self because I remember being nine and thinking back to what I imagined my hair should look like or not having cellulite,” Graham told ABC News correspondent Ginger Zee. “I want that nine-year-old girl who is looking at herself in the mirror to know that that’s okay: that’s your body, it’s strong! It’s the one you were given; embrace it, love it, cherish it, because all the things I didn’t do, I want her to remember to do that.”
How It May Impact Adults…
“As I was coming up with a concept of what I really wanted the book to embrace, it really went back to affirmations, and what my mom taught me growing up was just speaking well of yourself,” she told Zee. “And that’s why I say that this book is really for adults as well because what my mom instilled in me was she never spoke bad about herself in front of me and my sisters and I will always do that in front of my boys. I will always speak kind words to myself, I will always edify who I am around them and them as well because when you say one bad thing about yourself in front of your kids, they soak it up. They know that they’re a product of you, so they internalize that whenever you say something bad about yourself.”
This isn’t the first time Graham’s spoken publicly about A Kids Book About Beauty. In March, she teased her nearly 22 million Instagram followers that it was available for pre-order. “I had such a blast writing this,” she captioned a video of herself promoting the book. “It’s packed with affirmations, engaging questions, and prompts to ignite meaningful conversations. I can’t wait for you to share these words with your little ones.”