A letter to all parents regarding our newest children’s book

A letter to parents and grandparents from author Abigail Favale about Here I Am, a new board book for children that combats confusing messages about gender and identity, and reaffirms a Christian vision of human personhood: Dear Parents,  My hope in writing this book is to form associative connections in your child's imagination that lay the groundwork for a Christian vision of human personhood, or theological anthropology. These foundational connections and associations can later be developed into a more complete understanding of Catholic anthropology and sacramental theology. As a board book for younger children, this cannot offer a comprehensive account, but my hope is that it will plant seeds that can sprout in the long term—and even in the short term, help the young reader embrace her [his] body as a gift.  What seeds of Catholic theology are depicted in the words and images?  First, the truth that our body is integral to our personhood; we don't merely "have" bodies; we are bodies. And this is a good thing! Our embodiment is a gift from God. This truth counteracts the mistaken and dualistic belief that the body is a "meat suit" separate from the self and does not carry inherent dignity or meaning. Second, the body has a sacramental meaning. After all, we are not merely bodies; we are body-soul unities. Human personhood is an integration of the spiritual and material. My body makes visible my soul. In the book, the spiritual aspect of human personhood is shown rather than told through illustrations that depict a body animated by a living principle (i.e., a soul), and who is made by a loving God and called to Eucharistic union with him. Third, the book connects those truths about the body—again, in an intuitive, associative way—to two of the central mysteries of the Christian faith; namely, the Incarnation and the Eucharist. In both of these mysteries, God reveals himself to us in bodily form. In the Incarnation, God becomes a human being in Jesus Christ; Jesus is the image of the invisible God. In the Eucharist, the Incarnation is presented anew; Christ comes to us again in a visible, tangible way under the appearance of bread.  Lastly, this book counteracts a false anthropology that is predominant in contemporary understandings of gender, which roots girl-ness and boy-ness in feelings, perceptions, and stereotypes rather than the sex of the body. Human personhood is expressed in two distinct modes: male and female. This, too, is a gift! The book shows, through the illustrations of the two versions, that being a boy or a girl is fundamentally about the body. May these words and images bring joy and elicit wonder—about the gift of the body and the reality of the world beyond the material, of which our bodies are a sacramental sign.  Happy reading!  Abigail  Get Here I Am (for boys) or Here I Am (for girls) today for 20% off with FREE U.S. shipping OR get a bundle of both versions for 37% off with FREE U.S. shipping. GET THE NEW BOOK Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, PO Box 97330, Washington, DC 20090-7330, United States Manage Your Email Preferences .