Tag: feminist kidlit

Make Herstory (Giavanna Grein)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Make Herstory, written by Giavanna Grein and illustrated by Stephanie O’Donnell, a book of girl-power affirmations for young readers.

Welcome to the world, girl! It’s full of endless possibilities for you, even if you may have to fight sometimes to achieve them. See, oftentimes you will be told that, as a girl, you can’t – but don’t you believe it. Girls can do anything, from excelling in science and technology, creating beautiful pieces of art and music, being victorious athletes, lifesaving first responders, bold lawyers, or world-changing activists. So don’t be afraid to work hard, raise your voice, and chase your dreams; every girl has the power to make HERstory.

Readers will know that we love a book with a strong feminist message, and this one has decent concept. As the rhyming texts describes the many occupations and areas of expertise that girls can make their mark in – a healthy mix of science, government, the arts, athletics, and more – a single, red-haired young women is shown in one of the roles mentioned on the adjacent page. It’s a good concept, illustrating that each girl has the potential within her to be great in any number of things. However, this limited character focus is unfortunately to the book’s detriment as well: since a sole white character is the focus, the very few women of color depicted in the illustrations are limited to the background, and even then, they are noticeably scarce. Even in crowd scenes, such as the protest march shown both on the cover and within the book, it’s difficult to find a person of color in a sea of white faces. As intersectionality is still very much an issue in the current feminist movement, this lack of diversity is disappointing, especially in such otherwise visually dynamic artwork. The text also reads very well, despite a few rhythmic missteps. The length was fine, and JJ did enjoy being able to explore the various professions. This is a solid effort with a strong message and, despite its fumbles, worth a look for young feminists and their caregivers. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the author in exchange for an honest review.)

The Princess Knight (Cornelia Funke)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is The Princess Knight, written by Cornelia Funke and illustrated by Kerstin Meyer, a classic tale of girl-power.

When Princess Violetta’s mother dies in childbirth, her father knows no other way to raise his daughter than just the same as her three older brothers; the princess is trained to fight, joust, and ride a horse. Vi is smaller than her brothers and struggles with the physical demands, much to her macho brothers’ amusement (and teasing). So the determined princess sneaks out at knight, practicing endlessly and learning how to adapt the skills to her own strengths, speed and agility. Her fierceness and capability earns her the admiration of her brothers, until her father declares that a jousting tournament will be held on her 16th birthday… with her hand in marriage as prize! Vi is furious, and concocts a plan to ensure that if anyone is going to win her hand, it’s HER.

Awesome. A perfect twist on the classic fairytale storyline that gives the beautiful princess agency over her own happily-ever-after. In particular, I like that none of the characters in the story are truly villains, only uninformed – until Vi proves them wrong, at which point they realize their mistakes and become allies. It also encourages princesses to find their own strengths and lean into them; they may not always be the biggest, but they CAN be the fastest or cleverest. The dainty illustrations fit the storybook setting perfectly, while still allowing for personalities to shine. One note: Vi’s mother’s death in childbirth is depicted, with the infant Vi being held next to her late mother; it’s not scary or gruesome, but may be tough to explain to younger readers. Otherwise, the length was great, and JJ loved it. Baby Bookworm approved!

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around The World (Vashti Harrison)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around The World by Vashti Harrison, the dynamite sequel to Little Leaders.

Taking the same format as Leaders, Harrison introduces us to 35 more incredible women from history, this time broadening the focus to subjects from countries around the world, and from a myriad of ethnic backgrounds. Familiar feminist icons like Ada Lovelace, Hedy Lamarr, and Marie Curie join lesser known – yet no less impressive – trailblazers like Fatima Al-Firhi, founder of the oldest active university, and Esther Afua Ocloo, pioneer of the microlending movement to empower female entrepreneurs. Each woman was ahead of her time, courageous in her pursuits, and changed the world for the better, simply by being themselves and refusing to give up on their dreams.

Simply wonderful. Harrison has returned with a new crop of heroes for young girls (and boys), and we are glad for it. Where many of these anthologies can stumble with diversity, Dreamers has no such problem: the women presented are of a dizzying array of backgrounds, skintones, cultures, religions, and pursuits. Women of art, science, economics, politics, activism, philanthropy, and humanitarianism are each given brief yet thorough bios that do a great job of detailing their achievements while still giving a sense of their motivations and who they were/are as people. Harrison’s adorable figures, featuring open, serene faces and enigmatic smiles, are the perfect cherry on top. This is not a book for a single sitting, but can be broken into whatever-sized bites are right for your little bookworm. A wealth of mini-bios, glossary, and resource list complete the backmatter. JJ and I both learned from it, and loved it. An essential volume for every bookshelf, and Baby Bookworm approved!

A is For Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed The World (Eva Chen)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is A is For Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed The World, written by Eva Chen and illustrated by Derek Desierto, a delightful alphabet book that introduces young readers to notable “sheroes”.

After a hearty welcome by Juno (protagonist of Chen’s previous book Juno Valentine And The Magical Shoes), the reader is given one-sentence introductions to (and occasionally quotations of) female role models of note, organized alphabetically by the letter of their first name – A is for Amelia Earhart, B is for Beyoncé, C is for Coco Chanel, and so on. The women range from scientists, entertainers, suffragists, athletes, artists, lawmakers, and even a bonafide goddess. X, Y and Z represent eXtraordinary You (accompanied by a full-page mirror), and the Zillions of adventures you’ll go on – just as awesome as all the ladies that came before.

What else can I say? AWESOME! Meant as a primer for the littlest bookworms, this colorful and exuberant look at some deserving female trailblazers is a wonderful way to introduce the power of women to younger and pre-readers. The selection of featured figures is well-balanced, representing a varied range of skintones, religions and backgrounds, though most of the ladies are American. Desierto’s art is simple and friendly, using elements of mixed media cutouts for hair, clothes, and surroundings to frame the warm, open faces of the subjects. It makes each woman feel like a new friend, and works perfectly. JJ adored this one, especially the mirror on the final page, and it was a fairly quick read as well. A must for any young feminist’s bookshelf, and emphatically Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

I Am A Warrior Goddess (Jennifer Adams)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is I Am A Warrior Goddess, written by Jennifer Adams and illustrated by Carme Lemniscates, a collection of girl-power affirmations for little readers.

“I am a warrior goddess,” proclaims the young unnamed protagonist, red hair swirling in the breeze. She shares tidbits of what that means with the reader: each day she greets the sun, the earth, and the wind. She prepares her mind and body for “battle” by keeping fit and reading books, respectively. She exhibits kindness, the most powerful weapon of all. She leads the strong, and protects the weak. She is fierce yet grateful, and always proud to be herself. At the end of her day, she thanks the sun, the earth, and the air once more, then tucks into bed – even warrior goddesses need their sleep.

Apparently this book is based off an adult New Age self-improvement book called Warrior Goddess Training – I’ve never read the book, so I can’t speak to this connection. As a stand-alone, however, this is a perfectly nice set of female-empowerment spreads; not particularly ground-breaking, perhaps, but always good reminders nonetheless. A focus on fostering qualities like kindness and gratitude – and how doing so makes a girl no less strong or powerful – is wonderful to see, as is an encouragement toward leadership and intelligence. The illustrations are pleasant and brightly-colored enough to hold a young reader’s attention. And the length is fine – in fact, this may work best for younger bookworms as an introduction to girl-power themes. JJ enjoyed it, and this was a cute and encouraging read overall. Baby Bookworm approved!