My boss keeps telling me to read preschool books. Doesn’t she realize I’m a 27-year-old man? Oh well! I just finished TOBET’s Every Body is a Gift and here’s what I learned.
Our bodies are meant to express love, and Every Body is a Gift shows how even the smallest acts can be gifts to others. Through examples like playing, sharing, and helping, children learn that their bodies can make others feel loved and valued. As Pope John Paul II said, “The human body… has the capacity of expressing love, that love in which the person becomes a gift.” (TOB 15:1)
One of the most touching things about Every Body is a Gift is how it explains complex ideas in simple, relatable examples for young children. For example, “When I walk with Grandma and Grandpa with my legs, I give them love. I am a gift!” By repeating this concept throughout the book, Every Body is a Gift reinforces the idea that in every little aspect of our lives we can find ways to be a gift to others.
Indeed, Every Body is a Gift reminds me of another quote from Pope John Paul II: “Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.” Or, in the words of Scripture, “it is not good for man to be alone.” We are made for loving communion with others. This profound insight reflects the core message of Every Body is a Gift—that God made us to love; we become who we are designed to be through being a gift to others.
I hope these lessons resonate with our little readers, helping them to see the beauty and dignity in themselves and others, and inspiring them to live lives of love and self-gift.
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Matthew Turner is a Content Creator at TOBET. He earned his Master of Theological Studies specializing in Sacred Scripture at Boston College.
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