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Tales of Fearless Girls: Forgotten Stories from Around the World
This enchanting anthology of 20 forgotten fairy tales features stories of strong girls from different cultures around the world. Includes a story map, background information on the stories, talking points, and an index.
Throughout history, stories were passed down through the oral tradition. And often, the female characters in these stories were viewed as weak, vain, jealous, or just plain boring! This enchanting anthology of 20 forgotten fairy tales features stories of strong girls from different cultures around the world. Every tale features a female heroine who approaches life with humor, wit, cunning, and bravery. The collection includes stories from countries such as Mexico, Scotland, Siberia, Iran, Japan, China, Nigeria, Spain, Italy, Germany, India, and more. Includes a story map, background information on the stories, talking points, and an index.
Throughout history, stories were passed down through the oral tradition. And often, the female characters in these stories were viewed as weak, vain, jealous, or just plain boring! This enchanting anthology of 20 forgotten fairy tales features stories of strong girls from different cultures around the world. Every tale features a female heroine who approaches life with humor, wit, cunning, and bravery. The collection includes stories from countries such as Mexico, Scotland, Siberia, Iran, Japan, China, Nigeria, Spain, Italy, Germany, India, and more. Includes a story map, background information on the stories, talking points, and an index.
- GenresCultural
120 pages, Hardcover
Published September 7, 2021
1 person is currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Isabel Otter
83 books14 followersIsabel Otter is a children's book editor and writer. She grew up in rural Herefordshire and is happiest climbing mountains in muddy boots. Isabel loves weaving stories and writing about the world around her.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 4, 2022
This collection of fairy tales features stories from all over the globe. Each story has a fearless woman or girl who dives into adventure with courage and resourcefulness. The stories have a wide range of settings in different cultures, including Germany, Mexico, Siberia, Japan, Fiji, Nigeria, and India. Some of the tales include magical beings like elves and sorcerers, and some have magic gods and giants.
I loved how these strong women used their wits to conquer every obstacle! There are so many wonderful positive messages in this book. The heroines have to prove their worth and stand on their own two feet. They meet every challenge with a steadfast spirit. This book is so inspiring!
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous with a whimsical style! I loved all the bright colors and imaginative scenery. The artwork is full of energy and magic!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions expressed here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
I loved how these strong women used their wits to conquer every obstacle! There are so many wonderful positive messages in this book. The heroines have to prove their worth and stand on their own two feet. They meet every challenge with a steadfast spirit. This book is so inspiring!
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous with a whimsical style! I loved all the bright colors and imaginative scenery. The artwork is full of energy and magic!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions expressed here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
November 6, 2021
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...
TALES OF FEARLESS GIRLS is a unique and beautifully illustrated collection of fairy tales from around the world. The book begins with a map to show the places from which the stories originated and then proceeds to tell each one. Illustrations accompany each story to capture key moments and bring the tales to life. Each story has its own unique flair, although they all feature a female heroine who overcomes the odds in her own way.
What I loved: The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and I loved the way they brought the stories to life. The pages are colored throughout, adding some visual interest to each story, even when pages are text-only. Some of my favorite stories were "The Magic Boxes" and "The Shining Dragons," but they were all intriguing in their own ways. For fans of fairy tales or short stories, there are some that will appeal to everyone. The breadth of countries from which these come is also great. While there are certainly a lot from Europe, the book does include several other countries as well.
What left me wanting more: Some colors were more difficult to read from than others, such as the dark orange background with black print that was a bit tricky for older eyes to read, as a warning for parents planning to read these aloud with their children. Some stories are also a little brutal, such as "Arora and the Giants," where Aurora does not want to marry the giant her adopted mother has chosen for her, selects a man she just met, and then tricks her adopted mother into killing her son to help the man get free. There was not really a good guy in this story (the mother is forcing Aurora into marriage and Aurora tricks her in a brutal way) and might be tough for younger or sensitive readers. Caregivers may use some caution in which stories from the collection they share with children, though these are not out of line with typical fairytales.
Final verdict: A beautifully illustrated collection of stories, TALES OF FEARLESS GIRLS brings stories about courageous women from around the world into this imaginative book.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
TALES OF FEARLESS GIRLS is a unique and beautifully illustrated collection of fairy tales from around the world. The book begins with a map to show the places from which the stories originated and then proceeds to tell each one. Illustrations accompany each story to capture key moments and bring the tales to life. Each story has its own unique flair, although they all feature a female heroine who overcomes the odds in her own way.
What I loved: The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and I loved the way they brought the stories to life. The pages are colored throughout, adding some visual interest to each story, even when pages are text-only. Some of my favorite stories were "The Magic Boxes" and "The Shining Dragons," but they were all intriguing in their own ways. For fans of fairy tales or short stories, there are some that will appeal to everyone. The breadth of countries from which these come is also great. While there are certainly a lot from Europe, the book does include several other countries as well.
What left me wanting more: Some colors were more difficult to read from than others, such as the dark orange background with black print that was a bit tricky for older eyes to read, as a warning for parents planning to read these aloud with their children. Some stories are also a little brutal, such as "Arora and the Giants," where Aurora does not want to marry the giant her adopted mother has chosen for her, selects a man she just met, and then tricks her adopted mother into killing her son to help the man get free. There was not really a good guy in this story (the mother is forcing Aurora into marriage and Aurora tricks her in a brutal way) and might be tough for younger or sensitive readers. Caregivers may use some caution in which stories from the collection they share with children, though these are not out of line with typical fairytales.
Final verdict: A beautifully illustrated collection of stories, TALES OF FEARLESS GIRLS brings stories about courageous women from around the world into this imaginative book.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
January 18, 2022
Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved folk literature, especially fairy tales. But like many youngsters, I wondered why female characters in those stories were often depicted as silly, helpless, and in need of rescue. This anthology of 20 fairy tales goes a long way toward remedying those stereotypes as the girls and women featured here are strong, crafty, and fully capable of charting their own destinies while sometimes even rescuing their would-be rescuers. The stories have been collected from around the world with the exception of none being from South America or Australia, unfortunately, and the content fits the book's title: These are fearless, sometimes mistake-prone or prideful, females with whom middle grade and teen readers will be able to relate. There are some double-page spreads that add color and appeal to the content, and I wish there were more or some spots of color to break up some of the text for visual attractiveness. And while some of these were unfamiliar to me, several of them were variants of similar stories that I've read in different forms or from different countries. The book also includes a map identifying the tales' origins and some talking points in the back matter.
September 10, 2022
Meh. While these stories were all female centric, they weren't exactly bastions of female agency. While the girls and women in these stories weren't sitting totally passively in a tower waiting for a prince, they usually had the help of a secondary character or they were in disguise. Nothing really new and exciting. If you are looking for non-traditional twists on fairy tales with strong female characters and other non-traditional and/or non hetero characters, check out Beasts and Beauty by Chainani.
April 22, 2023
A story from a North American Indigenous culture is not attributed to the tribe the story originates from but is simply cited as "a Native American story". This shows the authors incredible ignorance because there are dozens, possibly hundreds, of "Native American" peoples/cultures, each with their own distinct identities, heritage, & stories. If publishing a book of other people's work, at least do the courtesy of citing your sources. Extremely disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews