Written by Mister Wilson-Astoryplus Children’s Books
Children’s books are excellent tools to communicate possibilities to children. They may allow them to see characters in roles that they too would like to assume one day. And although the characters and stories may be fictitious, children may come to see a potential real life parallel for themselves.
Girls of females have been featured prominently in children’s books and stories. Their roles have been centered for the most part on their appearance or lack there of as their main strength or vulnerability. Often their obstacles or troubles usually workout in their favor in terms of surviving or being recognized for the unique beauty. Young girls read these types of stories can relate to the concepts of the benefit of beauty. In both fact and fiction beauty can be a great asset to have. The stories themselves are told with great splendor and skill and are indeed entertaining.
The bulk of these type stories do not allow young girls to see other equally beneficial aspects of their roles. Girls are often tight casted and placed in stereotypical roles. Perhaps in the past there were limits and restrictions upon the role of females in society and it permeated into children’s books as well. But in many areas those restrictions have been lifted or abolished forever.
Today girls have far less reasons not to see characters that are given or assume all sorts of roles in children’s books. Other than a few jealous queens and wicked witches, the positions of leadership are certainly in high demand and in short supply in these books. Girls should be allowed to read about and see other girls with strengths other than beauty leading to their triumphs in children’s books. They should be able to see girls who are smart, work hard, study and commit themselves to their aspirations and ultimately achieve them. Likewise, girls should be seen practicing self-defense, facing huge obstacles, taking risk, problem solving and even fighting where it may be required.
Young feminine characters are being intensely watched and their roles are being examined by young girls. Those who do not see themselves in the roles of the fairest of all should see that they too have great assets and strengths. Girls must be relayed roles of themselves as more than just those related to an attractive appearance. Girls need to see the full scale of their possibilities especially in their first literacy materials. It should be modeled in characters what girls may accomplish in leadership roles in children’s books. In these books girls should see character ascend the ranks to offer wisdom, knowledge, and guidance to adults and children in the stories. If we are to help girls to grow beyond old stereotypes, we should begin doing so in children’s books. Books showing young girls in leadership roles may not only liberate their minds from outdated limitations but help them to envision themselves beyond the glass ceilings that still exist today.
Written by Mister Wilson-Astoryplus Children’s Books
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