One year ago, Disney Hyperion released a picture board book by Loryn Brantz called Feminist Baby and now she’s back for another adventure. Feminist Baby Finds Her Voice! follows this young baby who can be anything she wants as she learns to talk. Some of you may be familiar with Loryn Brantz for her columns on feminism at BuzzFeed.
The book is told through rhyme with lots of humor in the lyrics and illustrations, all of which are provided by Brantz, who also hand-lettered the book. Everything about it is adorable and the style somewhat reminds me of Klasky Csupo animation, particularly Rugrats due to the baby heroine. Each page makes great use of colors and the artwork commands the attention of both kids and adults experiencing the book together.
If I had to apply a moral to the first Feminist Baby book, it would be that children are a beautiful gift and should be free to be who they want to be. The theme for Feminist Baby Finds Her Voice! is much easier to find, which is that kids should be encouraged to speak their mind and stand up for what they believe in. This is overtly stated on the last page where Feminist Baby and her friends are all united in a protest with signs and flags demanding love, justice, and equality.
We live in interesting times and by virtue of the subject matter, this book appeals to a fairly specific audience. But the message itself is universal for all of humankind and truly just follows the golden rule. With the Feminist Baby series, kids will be told from the start of their life that they are a valued member of society capable of making significant contributions and that there’s a seat for them at the table. It promotes breaking down norms that divide us while also celebrating what makes us unique.
I recommend the Feminist Baby series to all parents of toddlers, regardless of their gender. There are great lessons and funny moments to make us all smile and picture the world as it should be: Bright, fun, and full of love.