Friday 7 August 2015
ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 7th August 2015 - "I'm a Girl!" by Yasmeen Ismail (Bloomsbury Publishing)
An utterly brilliant book, a siren song to anyone fighting gender stereotypes, our Book of the Week this week is the glorious "I'm a Girl"...
Hooray! Here's a book that champions mighty girls everywhere, and perfectly encapsulates the rallying cry of many girls throughout the world - "Be yourself, there's no one better!" In "I'm a Girl!" we're introduced to a little girl donkey who doesn't want to wear dresses, doesn't want to play tea parties with dollies, and doesn't really want to be anything but herself. She loves loud and raucous fun, getting messy, riding her scooter and doing tricks at high speed - and quite often passers-by mistake her for a boy but throughout the story she puts them in her place with her shout of "I'm a girl, I'm a girl, I'M A GIRL!"
Hooray! Here's a book that champions mighty girls everywhere, and perfectly encapsulates the rallying cry of many girls throughout the world - "Be yourself, there's no one better!" In "I'm a Girl!" we're introduced to a little girl donkey who doesn't want to wear dresses, doesn't want to play tea parties with dollies, and doesn't really want to be anything but herself. She loves loud and raucous fun, getting messy, riding her scooter and doing tricks at high speed - and quite often passers-by mistake her for a boy but throughout the story she puts them in her place with her shout of "I'm a girl, I'm a girl, I'M A GIRL!"
Charlotte instantly took to this character because the things she does in the story are the things Charlotte also loves to do. We've always given Charlotte free reign to play in the way she wants to play, to do the things she wants to do with gender never being an issue, but many parents and book folk will know just how hard it is to push back against the ridiculous way children are shoved roughly towards gender-specific marketing in just about all aspects of their lives (here's a test for you - go and try and buy a pair of sunglasses for your little girl that aren't pink without going for the 'boy section').
Campaigns such as Let Toys Be Toys and Let Books Be Books are hugely successful and are bringing about change, books like Yasmeen's fabulous book address both sides of the issue not only championing girls who like to play 'the way boys do' but vice versa, as we meet a boy at the end of the story who loves dolls and dressing up.
Without a shadow of a doubt, a book of the week, and a book we'd love to see in everyone's book shelf or school library!
Charlotte's best bit: Super-scooter stunts (and bruised knees!)
Daddy's Favourite bit: A delicious message delivered with style, Yasmeen's "I'm a Girl" should be part of every girl and boy's book collection!
I'm a Girl!
Written and Illustrated by
Jessica Souhami
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing
Release Date: 13th August 2015
(Kindly sent to us for review by Bloomsbury Publishing)
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