One of the happiest memories of childhood most definitely is – story books! Each one of us has our favorite book, favorite story and favorite character. It goes without saying then that reading a story book or telling a story is an important part of parenting. So the question then is – what kind of books should I read to my child? What kind of stories? Do I stick to the long time favorites or do I need to change from the standard stereotype? What role does this play in parenting?
Part of telling a new story also has to be telling it in new ways. With pride, I would like to introduce a dear friend, Jimena Duran. She is a young mother, coach in training and an entrepreneur. She has been in the restaurant review business for a long time and recently launched her own publishing business - Queen Girls Publications; in partnership with her sister-in-law, Andrea Doshi. Andrea has a Masters’ degree in Speech Pathology and has worked with public schools in Chicago.
“Queen Girls” creates fairy tales for children based on the lives of real women. It is a unique way of honoring these women, sharing their stories and creating new and unique stories for children. This is a bold courageous attempt to break stereotypes around children’s books and the stories we tell. What follows below is the story of how Queen Girls happened – in Jimena’s own words, followed by a few pointers for great storytelling.
How “Queen Girls” Happened - by Jimena Duran
When I became a mom, many stereotypes in children’s books became more and more evident to me. Did you know that 57% of children’s books have male protagonists, while 31% are female? Moreover, female characters are often stereotyped or one-dimensional: the mother figure, the homemaker, the exotic beauty or the love seeker. Gender is very often defined through these stereotypes and shape what our children learn from a very early age.
This situation bothered me to no end. I kept thinking that our children deserve better. They should be able to explore without any limitation or preconceived notion. I realized that we, as parents, needed to tell new stories. That is how the “Queen Girls Collection” was born – with an objective to give kids a new perspective that can help them build on their strength and self-esteem.
We take life stories of real women and transform them into Queen fairy tales. This is also our way to pay tribute to all these brave women who helped change the narrative. While the current collection is geared towards empowering the girl child, the books also help boys to stay in a place of equality. Queen Girls is about diversity as well. We want to create books where children can see themselves reflected – even look like them. It is important that they relate to the character and get deeper connection with the story.
Our very first book is inspired by Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to receive her commercial pilot’s license. When Bessie was growing up, nobody could have imagined that a girl like her would get out of the cotton fields and go on to become a pilot. The actual story gets supported visually too, with the book’s art work showing Bessie as she was – a little black girl with curly hair and a princess in her own unique way.
I really believe that we need to read between the lines when we select content we feed our precious children, as it is part of their holistic nutrition. We at Queen Girls, we are hoping to inspire girls to spread their wings and fly!
Storytelling Tips
As I watched the Oscars ceremony and heard speakers share their thoughts and journeys, it became even more apparent that there are many stories out there - waiting to be told. The movies nominated showcased beautifully the power of great story, well told. Here are a few pointers as to how ordinary folks - like you and me, can make storytelling an awesome parenting tool.
- Read a storybook to your toddler - everyday. Kids look forward to this activity and is also great way to bond.
- Eventually, when they are able to actually read by themselves, it is a huge achievement for them. Then, there is no stopping. They just devour any kind of book they can lay their hands on!
- As they grow, give them a variety of books to read. Gift them books often. In today’s times when way too many kids are hooked onto their phones or tablets surfing the Internet, if reading as a habit is not part of their growing up years, it may be impossible to change that later.
- Try and be a reader yourself. Practice what you preach. Encourage and develop reading as a habit.
- With older kids, one can read the same books too. Have a discussion, a book review or simply share your thoughts.
- One of benefits is of course, improving language skills. Yet another is that, most readers love to write too. Encourage and appreciate their writing efforts. It can be a window into their thoughts.
According to various theories of psychology, early childhood is the period of maximum growth – physically as well as mentally. Children are like a sponge – that soaks up everything. Your child comes into this world a blank slate. It is entirely up to you what you write on it.
"You are never too old, too whacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child." - Dr. Seuss