Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending Tyra Banks’ book signing for her first book ever, Modelland. And, while the book’s dominant audience was teenage girls, I think those of us way past our teenage years can learn a thing or two from it.
Strongly inspired by Banks’ own life experiences, the book maps out a character by the name of Tookie de la Crème, an awkward teen who is invited to a mystifying modeling boarding school called Modelland where she joins three other insecure girls who so badly want to be chosen as the next Intoxibella (top model).
And, while Tookie has two different eye colors, one short friend, and another who is albino, the deeper message is that beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder, but it has no limit for size, shape or features. It’s simply loving and embracing the skin you’re in.
Personally, I have been in situations where I feel so small and out of place but when I look at all of the things I’ve accomplished and all of the people I have in my life, that feeling of being small becomes small. And, while I’m sure there are some things we don’t admit because we don’t like the way it sounds, I think that most of us have had some of our darkest hours in high school or early college dealing with issues like body image and self esteem, which is why this book is one that I know many of us will hold close to our hearts.
Read on and enjoy.
By: Ashley Kooblall
