New Children’s Book Celebrates and Empowers Those With Vitiligo
A new children’s book celebrating and empowering children with vitiligo is now available. Written by debut author Lid’ya C. Rivera and inspired by her own experiences living with vitiligo, I Absolutely, Positively Love My Spots follows a young girl celebrating how her ‘beauty marks’ make her different.
Diagnosed with vitiligo as an infant, Lid’ya grew up facing bullying and name calling because of her skin. She had–and still has today–focal vitiligo on her face. As a child, her peers wouldn’t let her forget it, and Lid’ya’s self-esteem and ability to love herself took a significant hit.
For Lid’ya, the book is a reflection of what she hopes her childhood could have been–a story about the self-love and confidence she wanted so badly. It provides education about a skin condition that she didn’t have as she was growing up, and delivers much-needed representation for children with vitiligo who can see someone who looks like them in a book.
“I don’t want other children to go through the same things I did,” said Lid’ya, reflecting on her early years facing bullying and name calling from peers. “Children are all created differently and we’ve got to embrace and accept everyone for who they are, just the way they are.”
Illustrated by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Niña Mata, the book features a girl with vitiligo sharing the places she takes her spots and how much her parents love her–and her skin. The little girl also talks about how her vitiligo comes in different shapes and sizes and how she gets questions about them. At the end of the book, Lid’ya includes a personal letter and facts about vitiligo.
“My spots make me feel strong enough to face my biggest fears. They show the world I am one of a kind and I am here.” – I Absolutely, Positively Love My Spots
Today, Lid’ya is also a proud vitiligo advocate, award-winning filmmaker and confidence coach. She enjoys telling stories that encourage people to unapologetically love themselves and others just the way they are. And with this book, children are her newest audience.
“To the child reading this, I want you to know that any hurtful word that has been said to you or about you does not define you,” says Lid’ya in a note to the readers at the end of the book. “My hope is that as you read this book, you no longer feel ashamed for being who you are, and you understand that each person in the world was created different and beautiful in our very own unique way.”
The heartwarming book shares a message that Lid’ya knows children with vitiligo need to hear–because it’s the message she was looking for as a child herself.
“I wish I had this book as a kid,” said Lid’ya, who grew up not seeing anyone else who looked like her. “I wonder what life would have been like if I had this encouragement and representation growing up.”
Read More: Here’s Our Favorite Vitiligo Books for Children
I Absolutely, Positively Love My Spots can be purchased online at Amazon, Target, Walmart and Barnes and Noble. For inquiries about Lid’ya’s publicity tour and speaking engagements, please contact fancy@swagher.net.
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