The challenge that parents will encounter, and especially parents of young girls, is inadequate female representation in children’s books. The Minnesota Journal notes that girls are portrayed much less frequently than boys in children’s books, and often in gender-stereotypical terms; for example, many children’s books fall back on cliched portrayals of girls as nurturers, naifs, or damsels in distress; only boy characters are permitted to be valiant, bold, or fierce. Sadly, this is a long-gestating problem. The same article notes that, between 1900 and 2000, there was very little change to female representation in children’s books.
For parents seeking bedtime stories that center around the experience of girls, this blog post describes a few titles that are bound to inspire.