Tyler Feder

bustling celebration of body positivity that lovingly features bodies, skin, and hair of all kinds.

“Big bodies, small bodies / dancing, playing, happy bodies! / Look at all these different bodies! / Bodies are cool!” begins this engaging picture book, extolling the variety and splendor of human bodies in gentle, singsong text. With shared public spaces as the backdrop of her full-bleed spreads—and a refreshing lack of fanfare—author/illustrator Feder depicts people of many races, show more genders, disabilities, and physical attributes enjoying one another’s company, emphasizing connection rather than explanation. Whether riding a crowded bus, painting a community mural, or playing in a public park, no individual’s body is on particular display. Instead, young readers are able to people-watch through the pages, observing difference within the context of community. Most notably, Feder chooses clear and unapologetic language to describe body characteristics, challenging the negative connotations that are often attached to those bodies. Though the illustrations are a bit jam-packed, their richness and detail easily make up for the busy feel. Perfect for read-alouds, this offering shows young readers that vitiligo, assistive equipment, scars (including those denoting gender transition), fatness, dark skin, and textured hair (among many other features) all belong. Expanding visually beyond her celebration of the body, Feder also takes care to include queer families and characters wearing headscarves and turbans as well.

Depicting societally marginalized human bodies in all their joyful, normal glory, this book is cool. (Picture book. 3-10)

-Kirkus Review show less

Dancing at the Pity Party is a graphic memoir from Tyler Feder about her life as a motherless daughter. From before her mother's oncology appointment, through the stages of cancer, her death and funeral, sitting shiva, and afterwards, Feder shares about losing her mother to cancer. She tells about all the important "firsts" - first holiday without her mom, the first birthday celebrated without her mom, even the start of new traditions in honor of her mom.

I teared up a lot in this book. I had show more an Aunt I was super close to that passed away from breast cancer when I was younger and I only remember bits and pieces of her battle before she passed. But I can always remember her humor and how we used to cuddle a lot in her bed and I would run my fingers up and down her arm she would get chemo in. My cousin was her only daughter and I thought a lot about her when I read this.

I also lost a Father in a work related accident when I was 12. A lot of the things the author mentions about the grieving process really hit me hard. There's a part where Feder talks about the guilt she had for being the oldest and therefore having her Mom around longer than her younger sisters. I'm a middle child and I have never felt that way about my older sister, who is 6 years older. She had just started college a few days before the accident. That part opened my eyes a bit to what my sister may possibly have felt during those milestones my younger sister and I hit that Dad was around for, for hers but not ours.

I really enjoyed the art of this book - regardless of the topic, the art made me smile a lot. Feder has a talent at finding the funny even in a dark time.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with a loss, and even those who have been through it. It reminds you what to remember again. By the end of the novel I felt at peace remembering both my Aunt and my Dad. show less

"Abustling celebration of body positivity that lovingly features bodies, skin, and hair of all kinds.

“Big bodies, small bodies / dancing, playing, happy bodies! / Look at all these different bodies! / Bodies are cool!” begins this engaging picture book, extolling the variety and splendor of human bodies in gentle, singsong text. With shared public spaces as the backdrop of her full-bleed spreads—and a refreshing lack of fanfare—author/illustrator Feder depicts people of many races, show more genders, disabilities, and physical attributes enjoying one another’s company, emphasizing connection rather than explanation. Whether riding a crowded bus, painting a community mural, or playing in a public park, no individual’s body is on particular display. Instead, young readers are able to people-watch through the pages, observing difference within the context of community. Most notably, Feder chooses clear and unapologetic language to describe body characteristics, challenging the negative connotations that are often attached to those bodies. Though the illustrations are a bit jam-packed, their richness and detail easily make up for the busy feel. Perfect for read-alouds, this offering shows young readers that vitiligo, assistive equipment, scars (including those denoting gender transition), fatness, dark skin, and textured hair (among many other features) all belong. Expanding visually beyond her celebration of the body, Feder also takes care to include queer families and characters wearing headscarves and turbans as well.

Depicting societally marginalized human bodies in all their joyful, normal glory, this book is cool. (Picture book. 3-10)" www.kirkusreviews.com, A Kirkus Starred Review show less

Gr 8 Up—Feder manages the near impossible—a memoir about joining "the Dead Moms Club" that's palpable in its
depiction of grief yet also exuberant, uplifting, and funny. Using a pastel-infused palette and creatively placed lists,
asides, and diagrams, she lovingly remembers her mother, explores the less talked about aspects of loss, and offers
a balm to anyone confronting the death of a parent.