I Cannot Find My Belly Button!
Workman Kids | Written by Eva Treistman | Board Book Format | Published April 2025
Follow along with this playful read-aloud board book as a child searches everywhere for their belly button—but it always seems to be missing! When they reach the breaking point, they ask their big sister for help. As it turns out, the sister has an outie belly button, and our main character realizes their own was there all along. Featuring a poppable belly button cover feature, funny rhymes, and illustrations that highlight body awareness, I Cannot Find My Belly Button! is a delightful way for kids to learn body parts while giggling through each spread.
One of the trickiest parts of illustrating Eva Treistman’s manuscript was showing all the body parts clearly. I broke each spread into panels (similar to graphic novel sections) so children can see close-ups of hands, feet, ears, etc., and also search for those parts on their own bodies. Every spread has unique composition based on what works best visually. Colorful backgrounds energize each scene, while recurring motifs such as bits of nature and scattered toys create a cohesive flow throughout the book.
The child narrator is intentionally gender-neutral - modeled loosely after my nephew with long curly brown hair and mid-tone skin. I made this choice so that children of any gender, skin tone, or background can feel included when learning about their bodies without worry or comparison.
In addition to body parts learning, the book takes young readers through familiar environments: the park, car rides, grocery stores, and more. I used divided sections in these settings too, often including a friendly critter to offer emotional support and comfort.
“A highly enjoyable body-part adventure; correctly named body parts in rhyming text will resonate with readers who are interested in their own bodies.”
School Library Journal