HelloFlo: The Guide, Period.

September 25, 2017
Bloom, founder of the company HelloFlo, offers a compassionate guide to the physical, psychological, and emotional dimensions of puberty, emphasizing how no two bodies are exactly alike or on the same schedule. Over nine chapters illustrated with cartoon portraits of racially diverse girls, Bloom addresses breast development, body hair, the onset of menstruation, and the effects of hormones, alongside q&as with doctors and reflections from real-life women and girls. She also touches on societal messaging about women’s bodies, highlighting how arbitrary and fleeting many appearance-related trends can be (“It’s important to remember that at different points in history people had different views on what the perfect breast size should be”). Understanding the basics behind bodily changes during puberty, Bloom suggests, can lead to girls’ lifelong empowerment and body positivity. Ages 10–up. Author’s agent: Emma Parry, Janklow & Nesbit.

October 15, 2017
Grades 6-10 Employing an upbeat, nonjudgmental tone, Bloom discusses an array of puberty-related topics, seeking to demystify and reassure. Bloom addresses breast development, body hair, menstruation, emotional development, and PMS, as well as offering occasional factoids, the history of women's health, and sidebars with content from doctors, including an endocrinologist and gynecologist. Full-color cartoon illustrations depict multicultural girls and women of a variety of body types in varying activities, as well as labeled diagrams, depicting everything from anatomical systems to historical pubic hair trends to how to do a breast self-exam. Like many books on this topic, the genial, approachable text doesn't always distinguish between anecdotes and facts, though since the aim is to encourage general awareness rather than offer specific medical advice, that's fairly easy to look past. Bloom's candid, no-holds-barred approach includes detailed descriptions of periods, pubic hair, and breast development, and the straightforward illustrations and frank language, which don't rely on euphemism, will hopefully encourage more open dialogue about reproductive health in young women, while also advocating self-awareness and a positive self-image. An energetic, empowering resource.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
The founder of a commercial women's health website for adults presents an approachable guide to puberty aimed at preteen girls. A tight focus on bodily changes and hygiene make this slim volume easy to hand to younger readers. However, the tone of Bloom's voice--veering from playful and slangy to clinical to patronizing--may be off-putting. Color illustrations, diagrams, sidebars, and testimonials round out the presentation.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)