Abortion activist Amelia Bonow, co-founder of the “Shout Your Abortion” movement, has released a children’s book titled Abortion Is Everything, aimed at children ages five to eight.
The book frames abortion as a “uniquely human superpower,” presenting it as a tool for shaping life choices.
Critics argue this portrayal oversimplifies a complex ethical and biological issue for young readers, potentially influencing their beliefs before they can fully comprehend the subject.
The book, co-written with Rachel Kessler and illustrated by Emily Nokes, is promoted as a resource for parents, educators and caregivers seeking ways to discuss abortion with children, according to Live Action, which first brought attention to the publication.
Social media posts from the “Shout Your Abortion” page describe it as speaking “directly to five to eight-year-olds about what abortion is, how it might feel and why people have abortions” and highlight its inclusive and empowering language.
The campaign claims that abortion demonstrates the human capacity to imagine the future and make decisions that shape one’s destiny.
The publication has drawn immediate criticism from pro-life groups.
Live Action stated, “The founder of ‘Shout Your Abortion’ is now targeting kids. With a children’s book. Promoting abortion, adding, “This isn’t just propaganda. It’s grooming.”
The group noted that the abortion industry has long attempted to influence children, and this book is the latest example.
Bonow has a history of presenting abortion in ways that critics say distort reality for children.
In 2019, she appeared in a “Kids Meet” video series in which pre-teens and teenagers discussed her abortion experience.
In the video, she described the procedure using dehumanizing language, likening the unborn child to inanimate objects, a portrayal that many observers labeled misleading and morally troubling.
Supporters of the book argue it provides a framework for parents and educators to introduce difficult topics in age-appropriate ways, emphasizing bodily autonomy and personal choice.
Online commenters praised the publication, with one noting, “I’ve been speaking to my kids about abortion since they were small, and it is so empowering to hear a child say: ‘You don’t have to be pregnant if you don’t want to be.’”
Critics contend that targeting children ages five to eight is a strategic effort to normalize abortion and progressive ideas before children can form independent moral or cultural judgments.
They argue that the book encourages political and ideological conditioning at a formative age.
Bonow first announced plans for a children’s book in 2019, following the launch of the “Shout Your Abortion” campaign in 2015 alongside Lindy West and Kimberly Morrison.
The project, delayed for several years, marks the fulfillment of that promise and is likely to intensify debates over how abortion and other sensitive topics should be presented to children.
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned federal abortion protections, publications like Abortion Is Everything highlight tensions over parental guidance, education and the role of political ideology in teaching young children.
Pro-life groups argue that these efforts raise ethical concerns about how children are introduced to morally complex issues, while supporters maintain the book offers an empowering approach to discussing personal choice.
