Folktales for Fearless Girls

The Stories We Were Never Told

Illustrated by Dani Torrent
Look inside
Heroines save the day in this empowering collection of folktales from around the world, perfect for fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.

Curses to be broken. Riddles to be solved. Kings' favor to be won. These are the standard stories we've heard in folktales and fables for as long as we can remember--challenges faced and overcome by princes and knights in shining armor. In Folktales for Fearless Girls, though, we see a different set of heroes charge across the page. In fact, we see heroines.

Wily women and clever girls, valiant queens and brave villagers--these are the people to save the day in this collection of folktales from around the world and across the ages. Long before J.K. Rowling brought us Hermione Granger, well before Katniss Everdeen entered the arena, these fierce protagonists were the role models for strong girls through the ages. Here we read the story of Jimena, who dresses like a man to go fight in a war; of Min, whose cleverness leads her family to riches; and of Nabiha, who outsmarts thieves and wins the respect of the king. With stories from China, Russia, Persia, India, Armenia, the UK, Spain, France, Southern Africa, Egypt, and Germany, this is a collection of tales that showcases the original literary feminists.

With beautiful full-color art throughout to accompany these empowering tales, this an essential book for all girls!


Praise for Folktales for Fearless Girls:

"Women of the world are celebrated through joyous illustration and triumphant tales." --Shelf Awareness
Myriam Sayalero (myriamsayalero.com) is a journalist and the director of the multiplatform content site Adosaguas. She has had several books published in Spain and Mexico. The most recent are Los regalos de la vida (Aguilar, 2016), Diario irreverente del desamor (Planeta México, 2017), and Poderosas (Larousse México, 2017). Her latest children's publications are ¡Vaya con el día especial! (Alfaguara, 2017) and Diario de emociones (Larousse, 2017). Follow her on Twitter @myriam_sayalero.

Dani Torrent (danitorrent.com) has a degree in art history from the University of Barcelona and studied fine arts and illustration at the Llotja Advanced School of Art and Design. He has exhibited his award-winning artwork around the world, and has been published in many countries. In addition to his work as an illustrator, he has also written several of his own books in Spanish. He has won the Young Creators prize of the Fita Foundation of Girona (Spain), the second-place prize of the intentional drawing festival of Zabrze (Poland) and the second-place prize of the BIISA Festival of Amarante (Portugal). Dani lives in Barcelona. Follow him on Twitter @danitorrent1.
Introduction

Walter Scott’s The Talisman is the first book I ever remember reading. I read that gorgeous hardcover illustrated edition repeatedly, until a new book—Jules Verne’s Michael Strogoff—fell into my hands. I think both books were part of the same collection. Later, I read Ivanhoe, along with dozens of other books whose names I no longer remember.

I lived in these stories while reading them: through them, I traveled to far-off countries and galloped across mountains and plains. I shot arrows that penetrated the strongest of armor and defended castles where delicate damsels lived. The powerful, invincible, honorable, and courageous men captured my imagination, much more than the almost invisible women, who, if they were present at all, were usually portrayed as weak and fearful.

The girl who read Jules Verne and Walter Scott grew up to become the woman I am today. It was only recently that I thought to ask the question that should have been on my mind all along: Where were the stories about women, young girls, and teenage girls? How do we appear, other than garbed in beautiful dresses or topped with gorgeous hair? When do we come in andplay a role beyond showing our skill at embroidery and serving others (by which I mean men) in everything?

I began to dig deeply inside the magical box of traditional folktales—Arabic, Russian, Indian, Scottish, and many others—and, as if I were Lewis Carroll’s Alice, I discovered a parallel universe. I also read new stories, ones that had never been told to me, or to anyone I knew. We were never told stories about strong, courageous women who were smarter than the men were. We were never told stories about damsels who defended themselves without holding a weapon, who triumphed by dint of their intelligence and succeeded because they were wise.

Perhaps we were never told these stories because women have generally not been the ones responsible for reflecting upon their own history. We have always seen the world through masculine eyes: we, girls and women, have described the world and told our own stories through male eyes. The oral tradition, as anthologized by the Brothers Grimm, Alexander Afanasyev, Parker Fillmore, Andrew Lang, Francesc Maspons, and many others, mostly men, brought us the stories that have fueled our imaginations.

Folktales for Fearless Girls are the traditional stories I wish I could have read during my childhood: folktales in which heroic women are depicted as capable, courageous, and wise. These are stories that new readers like you will live in, just as I lived in the stories I read when I was young. Just as I did with those stories, these will have readers flying off to distant countries, galloping across mountains and plains, shooting arrows that penetrate the strongest of armor, and defending castles where defenseless men and women live. Courageous women who are powerful, honorable, and invincible will take their place right alongside men in readers’ imaginations.

It is a gift to grow up with stories. The princes and princesses who fill our pages nourish our imaginations and spur our fantasies. But our gorgeous popular literary tradition reflects the society that once existed—it is filledwith stories in which women are invisible, and because of that, it continues to teach us the same ideas. I believe that the best way to promote the values of freedom and equality is by creating a free and egalitarian collective imagination where both men and women play heroic roles. I hope you’ll join me in enjoying these stories, and in recognizing the power and strength that woman all around the world possess.
Praise for Folktales for Fearless Girls:

"Women of the world are celebrated through joyous illustration and triumphant tales." --Shelf Awareness

About

Heroines save the day in this empowering collection of folktales from around the world, perfect for fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.

Curses to be broken. Riddles to be solved. Kings' favor to be won. These are the standard stories we've heard in folktales and fables for as long as we can remember--challenges faced and overcome by princes and knights in shining armor. In Folktales for Fearless Girls, though, we see a different set of heroes charge across the page. In fact, we see heroines.

Wily women and clever girls, valiant queens and brave villagers--these are the people to save the day in this collection of folktales from around the world and across the ages. Long before J.K. Rowling brought us Hermione Granger, well before Katniss Everdeen entered the arena, these fierce protagonists were the role models for strong girls through the ages. Here we read the story of Jimena, who dresses like a man to go fight in a war; of Min, whose cleverness leads her family to riches; and of Nabiha, who outsmarts thieves and wins the respect of the king. With stories from China, Russia, Persia, India, Armenia, the UK, Spain, France, Southern Africa, Egypt, and Germany, this is a collection of tales that showcases the original literary feminists.

With beautiful full-color art throughout to accompany these empowering tales, this an essential book for all girls!


Praise for Folktales for Fearless Girls:

"Women of the world are celebrated through joyous illustration and triumphant tales." --Shelf Awareness

Author

Myriam Sayalero (myriamsayalero.com) is a journalist and the director of the multiplatform content site Adosaguas. She has had several books published in Spain and Mexico. The most recent are Los regalos de la vida (Aguilar, 2016), Diario irreverente del desamor (Planeta México, 2017), and Poderosas (Larousse México, 2017). Her latest children's publications are ¡Vaya con el día especial! (Alfaguara, 2017) and Diario de emociones (Larousse, 2017). Follow her on Twitter @myriam_sayalero.

Dani Torrent (danitorrent.com) has a degree in art history from the University of Barcelona and studied fine arts and illustration at the Llotja Advanced School of Art and Design. He has exhibited his award-winning artwork around the world, and has been published in many countries. In addition to his work as an illustrator, he has also written several of his own books in Spanish. He has won the Young Creators prize of the Fita Foundation of Girona (Spain), the second-place prize of the intentional drawing festival of Zabrze (Poland) and the second-place prize of the BIISA Festival of Amarante (Portugal). Dani lives in Barcelona. Follow him on Twitter @danitorrent1.

Excerpt

Introduction

Walter Scott’s The Talisman is the first book I ever remember reading. I read that gorgeous hardcover illustrated edition repeatedly, until a new book—Jules Verne’s Michael Strogoff—fell into my hands. I think both books were part of the same collection. Later, I read Ivanhoe, along with dozens of other books whose names I no longer remember.

I lived in these stories while reading them: through them, I traveled to far-off countries and galloped across mountains and plains. I shot arrows that penetrated the strongest of armor and defended castles where delicate damsels lived. The powerful, invincible, honorable, and courageous men captured my imagination, much more than the almost invisible women, who, if they were present at all, were usually portrayed as weak and fearful.

The girl who read Jules Verne and Walter Scott grew up to become the woman I am today. It was only recently that I thought to ask the question that should have been on my mind all along: Where were the stories about women, young girls, and teenage girls? How do we appear, other than garbed in beautiful dresses or topped with gorgeous hair? When do we come in andplay a role beyond showing our skill at embroidery and serving others (by which I mean men) in everything?

I began to dig deeply inside the magical box of traditional folktales—Arabic, Russian, Indian, Scottish, and many others—and, as if I were Lewis Carroll’s Alice, I discovered a parallel universe. I also read new stories, ones that had never been told to me, or to anyone I knew. We were never told stories about strong, courageous women who were smarter than the men were. We were never told stories about damsels who defended themselves without holding a weapon, who triumphed by dint of their intelligence and succeeded because they were wise.

Perhaps we were never told these stories because women have generally not been the ones responsible for reflecting upon their own history. We have always seen the world through masculine eyes: we, girls and women, have described the world and told our own stories through male eyes. The oral tradition, as anthologized by the Brothers Grimm, Alexander Afanasyev, Parker Fillmore, Andrew Lang, Francesc Maspons, and many others, mostly men, brought us the stories that have fueled our imaginations.

Folktales for Fearless Girls are the traditional stories I wish I could have read during my childhood: folktales in which heroic women are depicted as capable, courageous, and wise. These are stories that new readers like you will live in, just as I lived in the stories I read when I was young. Just as I did with those stories, these will have readers flying off to distant countries, galloping across mountains and plains, shooting arrows that penetrate the strongest of armor, and defending castles where defenseless men and women live. Courageous women who are powerful, honorable, and invincible will take their place right alongside men in readers’ imaginations.

It is a gift to grow up with stories. The princes and princesses who fill our pages nourish our imaginations and spur our fantasies. But our gorgeous popular literary tradition reflects the society that once existed—it is filledwith stories in which women are invisible, and because of that, it continues to teach us the same ideas. I believe that the best way to promote the values of freedom and equality is by creating a free and egalitarian collective imagination where both men and women play heroic roles. I hope you’ll join me in enjoying these stories, and in recognizing the power and strength that woman all around the world possess.

Praise

Praise for Folktales for Fearless Girls:

"Women of the world are celebrated through joyous illustration and triumphant tales." --Shelf Awareness

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