Have you noticed in every fairy tale, the princess in distress needs to be rescued by a prince? Have you ever thought what effect the fairy tale storyline has on children’s belief about the opposite sex? It could be argued that we’re reading too much into the storylines. And that could be true, but the stories we read to our children can impact the way they see their world as they grow older and they can form unhealthy beliefs in stereotypes. That women are the weaker sex and will always need rescuing.

Truth be told I love fairy tales, but often the feminine heart is portrayed as weak and in need of someone stronger to survive.

Elena Favilli and Francesa Cavallo are a couple who want provide an alternative to the typical fairy tale books offered to children.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a new children’s book that share trues stories of over 100 real women who have made a significant impact on our world.

Favilli and Cavallo are passionate about educating young readers with true stories of women who have made notable accomplishments in the past and present. Their Kickstarter campaign has raised over $122,000 (more than the $40,000 goal)  to assist in the production of their project.

Unlike the popular fairy tales where the princess is portrayed as the weaker sex, Favilli wants to empower girls and combat gender stereotypes in children’s books.

“Gender stereotypes permeate every aspect of our culture,” Favilli said. “We constantly urge ourselves to ‘lean in’ and books on female empowerment proliferate on our shelves… but they come far too late.”

Each story in the book compilation has been illustrated by a different woman in a different part of the world. The book shares the true tales of well-known women including the Brontë sisters, Frida Kahlo, Serena Williams and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a book that seeks to inspire young girls and build up their confidence by sharing the triumphs of women from around the world. There aren’t enough resources offered to parents to build gender equality and this book seeks to do something about it.

Would you read this book to your children at night? How do you explain gender stereotypes to your children or is it something you don’t discuss?