Gender Swapped Fairy Tales - by Karrie Fransman & Jonathan Plackett (Hardcover)

About the Book

People have been telling fairy tales to their children for hundreds of years. And for almost as long, people have been rewriting those fairy tales - to help their children imagine a world where they are the heroes. Karrie and Jon were reading their child these stories when they hit upon a dilemma, something previous versions of these stories were missing, and so they decided to make one vital change. They haven't rewritten the stories in this book. They haven't reimagined endings, or reinvented characters. What they have done is switch all the genders. It might not sound like that much of a change, but you'll be dazzled by the world this swap creates - and amazed by the new characters you're about to discover.

Book Synopsis

Imagine a world where kings prick their fingers as they sew, wolves wear heels, and princesses race to rescue sleeping princes...

People have been telling fairy tales to their children for hundreds of years. And for almost as long, people have been rewriting those fairy tales - to help their children imagine a world where they are the heroes. Karrie and Jon were reading their child these stories when they hit upon a dilemma, something previous versions of these stories were missing, and so they decided to make one vital change..

They haven't rewritten the stories in this book. They haven't reimagined endings, or reinvented characters. What they have done is switch all the genders.

It might not sound like that much of a change, but you'll be dazzled by the world this swap creates - and amazed by the new characters you're about to discover.

Review Quotes

"I only intended to look at it . . . but I'm completely drawn in. I love it. The language is fantastic. The gender swaps I hope will undo all my unconscious bias and I'll find my inner power! Fabulous." -- Philippa Perry

"Startling and refreshing, thought-provoking and unique, this book will stay with me. Its genius is that it feels like a timeless classic - beautifully illustrated, a joy to share - even as it shakes the gender stereotypes in our most beloved stories by their roots." -- Jess Kidd

"We were both fed a strict diet of fairytales as children so we were instantly captivated by Karrie and Jonathan's impressive reimaging of these age old tales. We were shocked that the simple premise of gender swapping the characters completely changed the way we connected to the stories. What would it have been like for Dev to grow up in a world where he was being read stories about vulnerable men who are praised for their emotional intelligence rather than their physical strength. Or for Tilda to have grown up play-acting the brave hero rather than the damsel in distress. If we are going to change the world we live in we need to inspire the next generation of changemakers to dream bigger. We believe this book is a part of this change." -- Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Dev Patel

"I will share this book with my own family and take into school soon, but for now I am still reading, re-reading and poring over the illustrations for my own reading enjoyment. It is an incredible book and would make the best Christmas gift for young and old!" -- MyShelvesAreFull

"It's one thing to know that misogynistic stereotypes exist, another to peer into the machine that creates them . . . The illustrations also back up the aim of the book by disrupting stereotypes . . . an important reminder that the way we tell stories matters." -- Independent

"Fransman and Plackett's clever and revelatory revisions breathe fresh life into familiar stories as girls outsmart their foes and slay monsters while princes are allowed to express their anxieties and fears with a good, healthy cry." -- Booklist

"Sure to enchant adults and children alike." -- Publishers Weekly