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Brave and Brilliant Girls
Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls: Inspiring Fairy Tales of Heroines Who Outwit Giants, Fight Evil, and Live Happily Ever After,
Once known, now largely forgotten, these empowering fairy tales have been brought together to inspire a new generation of readers. Discover heroines who outwit giants, fight evil, awaken sleeping princes and, of course, live happily ever after. With a foreword by Kate Pankhurst, author of Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2019
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January 4, 2020These eight tales are not retellings, rewritings of traditional stories to change gender stereotypes, but are rather original tales in their own right, forgotten over the years. Some are from the Brothers Grimm, others are from different countries and all contain female protagonists who are fierce, fearless, clever and brave. Quite a few of them are princesses but they're not waiting to be rescued; instead they are the ones doing the rescuing. And the stories don't always end up with "they got married and lived happily ever after" - some of these princesses carry on with their adventuring! A beautifully presented and good quality book, it engages several illustrators resulting in a variety of styles with the illustrations adding detail. There is also a very interesting and useful introduction that explains the history of fairy tales and why they change over time. Although aimed at 8+, younger children would enjoying being read these stories.
August 11, 2019
I really liked the forward and introduction to this book – all of which can be read to/by kids (and would be enjoyed by adults). Within the introduction, at times, there was a lovely lyrical tone to some of the writing that I very much enjoyed. There are 8 fairy tales in this book, which originate from a variety of locales: Mexico, Spain, Scotland and England.
Each tale highlights that a girl’s/woman’s HEA doesn’t mean (just) getting married, but being free to have adventures, daring to try something new. In each story we have a heroine who for example does the rescuing, goes on epic adventures and braves the unknown.
The layout of the book and illustrations are lovely, the illustrations for Fearless Fiona, especially, captured and held my eyes for more than a few seconds.
I wish I had been introduced to these fairy tales as a kid, it would have had reduced the amount of time I spent in my mind re-imagining Snow White and other princesses rescuing themselves. I’ll be keeping this book safe with my hardback of the Brothers’ Grimm fairy tales. Good font size means no squinting required.
ARC provided by amazon.
Each tale highlights that a girl’s/woman’s HEA doesn’t mean (just) getting married, but being free to have adventures, daring to try something new. In each story we have a heroine who for example does the rescuing, goes on epic adventures and braves the unknown.
The layout of the book and illustrations are lovely, the illustrations for Fearless Fiona, especially, captured and held my eyes for more than a few seconds.
I wish I had been introduced to these fairy tales as a kid, it would have had reduced the amount of time I spent in my mind re-imagining Snow White and other princesses rescuing themselves. I’ll be keeping this book safe with my hardback of the Brothers’ Grimm fairy tales. Good font size means no squinting required.
ARC provided by amazon.
September 3, 2019
This is a fabulous read. A big hardback copy with lovely stand out illustrations.
We have eight forgotten fairy tales told in their own unique way.
No stereotypes in this book which is brilliant.
I read this with my niece. She chatted at parts while I read which was great. She pointed and talked about the wonderful illustrations as well.
A great read for young girls and adults.
We have eight forgotten fairy tales told in their own unique way.
No stereotypes in this book which is brilliant.
I read this with my niece. She chatted at parts while I read which was great. She pointed and talked about the wonderful illustrations as well.
A great read for young girls and adults.
June 11, 2022
It would've been a decent collection if it wasn't for the glorification of the war in some of its stories. Beware.
October 15, 2020
Un recueil de contes féministe où ce sont les princesses qui sauvent les princes, avec de sublimes illustrations !
https://auxpetitsbonheursweb.wordpres...
https://auxpetitsbonheursweb.wordpres...
May 13, 2020
Delightful book. If you are familiar with fairytales, nothing in here is new. Slight recording of a few things, but all are true to the original stories I've read before. And they are lovely. The illustrations are nice. Very glad it's on our shelf to pull from. It's not a book where girls are better than boys. It's just a book where girls get to take the adventures and each person uses their particular talents and resources to help the other. And -surprise- not all the princesses get married at the end of their adventure story. What?! :) we all enjoyed it.
January 12, 2020
Enjoyed reading these lesser known tales with my 9 year old daughter! They gave us lots to chat about. :)
January 12, 2021
4.5
Ich habe in den letzten Wochen mehrere Bücher dieser Art gelesen (Märchen, weibliche Hauptfigur, starke-mutige-clevere Protaginistin, Geschichten aus aller Welt, teils wiederentdeckte eher unbekannte Märchen). Dieses ist mein Favorit! Gute Zusammenstellung, eben Märchen aus aller Welt, stringent erzählt, man fiebert sogar teilweise richtig mit. Manche verlieben sich hier auch (in den Prinzen, sind eben Märchen, deren Inhalt nicht verändert wird), andere ziehen in die Welt hinaus auf der Suche nach Abenteuer.
Was mir nicht so gut gefallen hat, ist dass es unterschiedliche Illustator*innen gibt, mir persönlich sagt es mir zu, wenn Märchen- oder Geschichtenbücher einheitlich gestaltet sind. Auch fand ich die Setzung sehr groß (viel Zeilenabstand, große Abstände zum Rand). Diese hätte gerne konzentrierter sein könne und dafür mehr Märchen oder ein größerer Druck der Illustrationen.
Ich habe in den letzten Wochen mehrere Bücher dieser Art gelesen (Märchen, weibliche Hauptfigur, starke-mutige-clevere Protaginistin, Geschichten aus aller Welt, teils wiederentdeckte eher unbekannte Märchen). Dieses ist mein Favorit! Gute Zusammenstellung, eben Märchen aus aller Welt, stringent erzählt, man fiebert sogar teilweise richtig mit. Manche verlieben sich hier auch (in den Prinzen, sind eben Märchen, deren Inhalt nicht verändert wird), andere ziehen in die Welt hinaus auf der Suche nach Abenteuer.
Was mir nicht so gut gefallen hat, ist dass es unterschiedliche Illustator*innen gibt, mir persönlich sagt es mir zu, wenn Märchen- oder Geschichtenbücher einheitlich gestaltet sind. Auch fand ich die Setzung sehr groß (viel Zeilenabstand, große Abstände zum Rand). Diese hätte gerne konzentrierter sein könne und dafür mehr Märchen oder ein größerer Druck der Illustrationen.
March 23, 2020
Kiva kokoelma satukirjaksi pienille. Pari prinsessaa menee naimisiin pelastamansa prinssin kanssa, se onni heille suotakoon. Loput lähtevät seikkailemaan, hallitsevat maata ym.
October 27, 2023
Great stories about brave girls who save themselves :)
March 6, 2023
My girls loved this chapter book as a read a loud before bed because the girls are the heroines, often saving the knights in distress. Fun change! :) most of the fairy tales are of Scottish origin.
April 24, 2020
I wish I had this book when I was a child.
The stories, indeed, are about daring, strong-willed girls, who are not afraid to pursue their dreams. No stereotypical princesses waiting for some miracle here! I was glad to find that those are not just gender-reversed retellings of popular tales. The stories are not only about finding love (only three of them), but also cover other important topics such as friendship, sisterhood and parents-children relationships.
As for the visual side: The book has a large font and beautiful illustrations! The artist did a good job and made characters diverse.
What I found a bit inconvenient is glossy paper as it was hard to read under the light. :(
This is a great book for young girls, which has interesting heroines, who can stand up for themselves and who are pleasant to imagine yourself as.
The stories, indeed, are about daring, strong-willed girls, who are not afraid to pursue their dreams. No stereotypical princesses waiting for some miracle here! I was glad to find that those are not just gender-reversed retellings of popular tales. The stories are not only about finding love (only three of them), but also cover other important topics such as friendship, sisterhood and parents-children relationships.
As for the visual side: The book has a large font and beautiful illustrations! The artist did a good job and made characters diverse.
What I found a bit inconvenient is glossy paper as it was hard to read under the light. :(
This is a great book for young girls, which has interesting heroines, who can stand up for themselves and who are pleasant to imagine yourself as.
January 5, 2021
This book is truly delightful! My 7 year old daughter and I have read it slowly aloud to each other, over the course of several months. As the foreword explains, many of the most famous fairy tales were popularized by Victorians, who preferred their women compliant and tame, so these classic tales were left out of popular fairy tale volumes, and thus are little known today. They each feature a tough and resilient heroine -- and often she has to go on a quest to rescue a knight/prince who has been enchanted, which I adore.
The illustrations are lovely, the stories are great, and since they're fairly long, each one takes 20-30 minutes to read aloud, making for a nice, snuggly bedtime experience.
The illustrations are lovely, the stories are great, and since they're fairly long, each one takes 20-30 minutes to read aloud, making for a nice, snuggly bedtime experience.
October 25, 2023
I loved reading this book!
It's filled with interesting stories about brave girls who stood out in their unique ways to make a difference in the world. The book wasn't feminist-driven but an inspiration to all girls reading and realising that no matter what the odds are against you, you can still achieve great things.
It had easy-flowing language with beautiful illustrations.
Read more here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.wordpress...
It's filled with interesting stories about brave girls who stood out in their unique ways to make a difference in the world. The book wasn't feminist-driven but an inspiration to all girls reading and realising that no matter what the odds are against you, you can still achieve great things.
It had easy-flowing language with beautiful illustrations.
Read more here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.wordpress...
June 26, 2021
I hadn’t heard a single one of these stories before and I thoroughly enjoyed them! They kept my 4yo engaged too (we read one a night for bedtime). Some of the stories turned common princess tropes on their head, such as a princess who rescues a prince and becomes a lifelong friend instead of wife, which I delight in.
April 13, 2022
Wonderful stories told with respect for the cultures they come from. Each story has a brief explanation as to where its origins lie and the author/s have worked hard to stay true to the voices of that culture.
My daughter (7) loved these stories and would like more tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls please.
My daughter (7) loved these stories and would like more tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls please.
April 30, 2020
I didn’t know I would love this as much as I did. I thought the stories would just be fairytales I knew with the genders mixed up but they were ACTUAL forgotten characters with women at the helm of adventure- rescuing or working with princes/men. My girls were very very into it
January 1, 2021
“Why is it so important that these tales are not forgotten? Because fairy tales fire our imaginations, and they can shape our understanding and our expectations for our lives.”
This was something really lovely to finish the year reading and start the new year reading, too. Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls was a book given to the class I TA and I wanted to give it a read before the children have access to it when we return (alongside another book I’ll be reading and reviewing in the next couple days) and I loved it! I think it’s so important that these tales are re-written to give positive reinforcements to young female readers that they, too, can be the heroes of their own story and therefore their own lives.
My favourites were The Nettle Princess and The Sleeping Prince because, as someone with my head in the clouds, I found something absolutely beautiful in the quote ‘For he had imagined her while dreaming, and she had dreamed of him while she was awake.’ (51) alongside really wanting to read Maid Maleen. I think that, after 2020 especially, a lot of children will be able to relate with the Princess feeling confined with no hope (on a metaphorical manner, of course) before finally being allowed out again in a society where they are forced to adapt. But in general, I did love all eight stories!
More books definitely need to be realised with these same messages being placed across to young readers. Lots of fairytales are, as Pankhurst says, ‘very old-fashioned’ and should be adapted for the modern reader. Because women are powerful, too, within their own right!
This was something really lovely to finish the year reading and start the new year reading, too. Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls was a book given to the class I TA and I wanted to give it a read before the children have access to it when we return (alongside another book I’ll be reading and reviewing in the next couple days) and I loved it! I think it’s so important that these tales are re-written to give positive reinforcements to young female readers that they, too, can be the heroes of their own story and therefore their own lives.
My favourites were The Nettle Princess and The Sleeping Prince because, as someone with my head in the clouds, I found something absolutely beautiful in the quote ‘For he had imagined her while dreaming, and she had dreamed of him while she was awake.’ (51) alongside really wanting to read Maid Maleen. I think that, after 2020 especially, a lot of children will be able to relate with the Princess feeling confined with no hope (on a metaphorical manner, of course) before finally being allowed out again in a society where they are forced to adapt. But in general, I did love all eight stories!
More books definitely need to be realised with these same messages being placed across to young readers. Lots of fairytales are, as Pankhurst says, ‘very old-fashioned’ and should be adapted for the modern reader. Because women are powerful, too, within their own right!
August 15, 2022
I got this book for bedtime story reading to my 3.5 year old daughter and, admittedly, she loved it despite not quite understanding everything yet.
That said, I personally found the narrative problematic and one dimensional. Some key issues stand out:
- In the book, girls’ parents never understand or support ideas or adventures. This is problematic not only in undermining parental trust for young readers, but more importantly in pitting bravery as a narrowly defined act of defiance against authority.
- While there is notable effort to avoid the “happily ever after” ending as default, other problematic issues like love at first sight remains prevalent. For example, fearless Fiona falling in love with Tam Lin purely based on his looks.
- In the current social context there should be a variety of outcomes for the girls. How about a career?
Overall, the book does not portray good decision making as a necessary component of bravery or brilliance. I understand the need for simplification for length but there are low hanging fruits that could’ve been handled better.
That said, I personally found the narrative problematic and one dimensional. Some key issues stand out:
- In the book, girls’ parents never understand or support ideas or adventures. This is problematic not only in undermining parental trust for young readers, but more importantly in pitting bravery as a narrowly defined act of defiance against authority.
- While there is notable effort to avoid the “happily ever after” ending as default, other problematic issues like love at first sight remains prevalent. For example, fearless Fiona falling in love with Tam Lin purely based on his looks.
- In the current social context there should be a variety of outcomes for the girls. How about a career?
Overall, the book does not portray good decision making as a necessary component of bravery or brilliance. I understand the need for simplification for length but there are low hanging fruits that could’ve been handled better.
July 4, 2024
I had no intention of taking another picture book, but when I saw the continuation of the previous picture book with which I was delighted, I also had to read this one.
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These fairy tales are really refreshing because they come from all over the world and you've probably never heard of them. They're very interesting, imaginative, and wise. The main heroines are very smart and brave and do not fear the woes of life and the terrible dragons to save their loved ones. Like the previous ones, these have beautiful illustrations and capital letters. Even though I said this was a sequel, it doesn't matter which one you read first.
.
These fairy tales are really refreshing because they come from all over the world and you've probably never heard of them. They're very interesting, imaginative, and wise. The main heroines are very smart and brave and do not fear the woes of life and the terrible dragons to save their loved ones. Like the previous ones, these have beautiful illustrations and capital letters. Even though I said this was a sequel, it doesn't matter which one you read first.
May 21, 2022
The stories about the girls and princesses are inspiring, humorous at times, and go against the "damsell in distress" type of fairy tales and plenty of other stereotypes.
I recognized one of the stories from a book I read in primary school, but I didn't know the others.
The illustrations are beautiful, too.
I would share this book with all my friends and relatives, as well as schools and libraries.
I can hardly believe such a book exists. It was about time.
I recognized one of the stories from a book I read in primary school, but I didn't know the others.
The illustrations are beautiful, too.
I would share this book with all my friends and relatives, as well as schools and libraries.
I can hardly believe such a book exists. It was about time.
July 28, 2020
I absolutely love the empowering stories for girls in this book. They are great stories in general but they also show girls being clever, smart, independent, determined, and so many other great qualities. My daughter asks me to read one story every night, and whenever we finish the book we start all over the next night. Highly recommended.
October 10, 2019
I enjoyed the fact that the fairy tales were all the women who did the rescuing and the feminist elements, however, I found the stories very similar so did get a bit bored but a nice book to read one or two of.
July 25, 2020
A wonderful more modern take on less known fairytales. Kate Pankhurst has really brought these fairytales to life through clever reconstruction and provided snippets of insight into who first recorded the original tales in writing. An important read for boys and girls alike.
July 2, 2022
This book was purchased for my great granddaughter who is 2 1/2, she listens to these stories for longer than I expected for her age. It is a good review if a book can stretch a 2 1/2 year olds attention span.
June 4, 2023
Un beau livre de conte avec de très belles illustrations.
J’ai apprécié découvrir des contes (je n’en connaissais que 2) revisité. Les personnages ont plus d’agentivité, c’est vraiment cool. Je pense qu’il plairas aux enfants et aux amateurs de contes !
J’ai apprécié découvrir des contes (je n’en connaissais que 2) revisité. Les personnages ont plus d’agentivité, c’est vraiment cool. Je pense qu’il plairas aux enfants et aux amateurs de contes !
April 22, 2020
This book is creepy. Like the King pot his own dater in a cave and seals the door and she almost died. That is terable!!!!!
August 4, 2020
I like this book a lot, it has a lot of good morals, my favorite story is the wise princess one.
August 20, 2020
the stories are WOW
January 27, 2021
The girls and I enjoyed this one!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews