SEPTEMBER 2009
Breaking the Princess Stereotype: Princess Bubble
http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/04/17/breaking-the-p…rincess-bubblebreaking-the-princess-stereotype-princess-bubble/
The feminist, eco-mom's lament: What to do about princesses!
For the first two years of my daughter's life, I shielded her from fairy tales and Disney movies about happily ever after and surrounded her with books about animals and nature. Then, she met a little girl that would become her best friend, who also introduced her to the world of Disney Princesses. I was happy my daughter had formed a strong relationship with another child, but there was no returning to our blissful, royalty-free days.
Breaking princess stereotypes
I've read several stories that try to break the princess stereotype, such asCinder Edna and The Paper Bag Princess. Princess Bubble, written by Susan Johnston and Kimberly Webb, is the story of a princess who is beautiful, a graduate of Royal University, employed by Royal Heir Line, and is happy with her life. As her other princess friends begin to marry their princes, Princess Bubble is pressured by the queen to find a prince.
But, Bubble did not believe just any prince would bring her "happily ever after." Yet the fairy tales said she must find HER prince! So she put on her thinking crown and re-read the fairy tales for clues on where to find her prince. She soon realized that unlike the other princesses, She was not trapped in a dungeon...She had no wicked stepsisters or stepmother...She did not know any dwarfs...Nor did she live under the sea. But the most confusing part was...She was already happy!
Finally, a story about a princess that does not need a prince. Although, I do wish Princess Bubble had a different career, as it appears in the illustrations that she is an airline stewardess. If the author really intended to break stereotypes, Bubble would have been a pilot. I also think the name Bubble is a little strange, as if her name implies she is living in a bubble by not following tradition and marrying a prince, or perhaps it is the princess stereotype bubble she is bursting.
How would your child define a princess?
I asked my six-year-old daughter to describe a princess to me. Here is her description:
nice
beautiful
pretty
kind
lives in a castle
wears pink and purple
marries a prince (UGH!)
After she gave me her list, I asked her if a princess has to marry a prince. She answered, "No, because Princess Bubble couldn't find one." Thank you Princess Bubble! Of course, I would add to the list that a princess is an environmentalist that uses her royal clout to pass strong environmental regulations to curb climate change, but then again, my daughter is only six!
Showing posts with label prince. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prince. Show all posts
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Girls, Self-Esteem & a Princess; As Seen On CNN & The TODAY Show
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2008/08/11/intv.susan.johnston.cnn?iref=videosearch
Many concerned mothers today worry about raising their princess. There is a royal struggle to have fun with fairy tales and at the same time teach girls the true meaning of “Happily Ever After!”
This is a story I can truly believe in and feel comfortable sharing with my children.”
—Noelle Williams, mother of three
“We’ve had countless women all over the nation tell us they wish there had been a book like this when they were little.”
—Susan Johnston, Princess Bubble author
Two Sassy Single Authors Redefine Fairy Tale Endings for Young Readers!
ATLANTA, October 8,2008—You know how the story goes—Prince Charming, “Happily Ever After,” The End, right? Is this the ONLY option today’s moms want to share with their young daughters? Two successful single gals are offering parents an updated version of the traditional fairy tale. No longer a “Damsel in Distress,” this princess travels the world, helps others, and finds “happily ever after” even before she finds her Prince!
With wisdom gleaned from their careers as independent, globe-trotting flight attendants, first-time authors Susan Johnston and Kimberly Webb have crafted a new generation of fairy tales that celebrates singleness and self worth. A contemporary fairy tale for all ages, Princess Bubble was written to reduce the overwhelming sense of failure, self-doubt, and despair that many youth face.
Three most common disorders in girls: low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders
In 2003, breast implants tripled from 3,872 to 11,326 in girls under age 18
Girls ages 12 to 19 spent over $8 million on cosmetics in 2005
(Source: Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls,2007)
“I adore sharing the Princess Bubble message with my daughter because it teaches her that happiness comes from within,” said Kim Daniels, mother of two.
Princess Bubble stars a princess who is confused by the traditional fairy tale messages that say she must find her “prince” before she can live “happily ever after.” Princess Bubble dons her “thinking crown” to research traditional fairy tales, interviews married girlfriends, and even takes counsel from her mother, who advises her to sign up at FindYourPrince.comFindYourPrince.com. With a little help from her fairy godmother (this is still a fairy tale after all), Ms. Bubble discovers that “living happily ever after” is not about finding a prince. “True happiness,” the book reveals, “is found by loving God, being kind to others, and being comfortable with who you are already!”
“We are definitely not anti-Prince,” said Webb. “We just believe that young girls today are bombarded with so much inaccurate advice on how to build their self-esteem—messages that focus on the outside rather than what’s within. We want to change that message.”
ABOUT PRINCESS BUBBLE and BUBBLE GUM PRESS: The Princess Bubble message, cleverly articulated by former Delta flight attendants Susan Johnston and Kimberly Webb, seeks to find an alternate ending to “happily ever after” and change the notion that life begins and ends with finding your Prince Charming. Looking to bolster the poor self-esteem of female youth and the stigma that many single adult women carry, Johnston and Webb believe“this is a book for women of all ages, a story they can believe in and share with their children.” In upcoming adventures, Princess Bubble will travel to distant lands where the knowledge of every new culture will enrich her flourishing life.
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http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2008/08/11/intv.susan.johnston.cnn?iref=videosearch
Many concerned mothers today worry about raising their princess. There is a royal struggle to have fun with fairy tales and at the same time teach girls the true meaning of “Happily Ever After!”
This is a story I can truly believe in and feel comfortable sharing with my children.”
—Noelle Williams, mother of three
“We’ve had countless women all over the nation tell us they wish there had been a book like this when they were little.”
—Susan Johnston, Princess Bubble author
Two Sassy Single Authors Redefine Fairy Tale Endings for Young Readers!
ATLANTA, October 8,2008—You know how the story goes—Prince Charming, “Happily Ever After,” The End, right? Is this the ONLY option today’s moms want to share with their young daughters? Two successful single gals are offering parents an updated version of the traditional fairy tale. No longer a “Damsel in Distress,” this princess travels the world, helps others, and finds “happily ever after” even before she finds her Prince!
With wisdom gleaned from their careers as independent, globe-trotting flight attendants, first-time authors Susan Johnston and Kimberly Webb have crafted a new generation of fairy tales that celebrates singleness and self worth. A contemporary fairy tale for all ages, Princess Bubble was written to reduce the overwhelming sense of failure, self-doubt, and despair that many youth face.
Three most common disorders in girls: low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders
In 2003, breast implants tripled from 3,872 to 11,326 in girls under age 18
Girls ages 12 to 19 spent over $8 million on cosmetics in 2005
(Source: Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls,2007)
“I adore sharing the Princess Bubble message with my daughter because it teaches her that happiness comes from within,” said Kim Daniels, mother of two.
Princess Bubble stars a princess who is confused by the traditional fairy tale messages that say she must find her “prince” before she can live “happily ever after.” Princess Bubble dons her “thinking crown” to research traditional fairy tales, interviews married girlfriends, and even takes counsel from her mother, who advises her to sign up at FindYourPrince.comFindYourPrince.com. With a little help from her fairy godmother (this is still a fairy tale after all), Ms. Bubble discovers that “living happily ever after” is not about finding a prince. “True happiness,” the book reveals, “is found by loving God, being kind to others, and being comfortable with who you are already!”
“We are definitely not anti-Prince,” said Webb. “We just believe that young girls today are bombarded with so much inaccurate advice on how to build their self-esteem—messages that focus on the outside rather than what’s within. We want to change that message.”
ABOUT PRINCESS BUBBLE and BUBBLE GUM PRESS: The Princess Bubble message, cleverly articulated by former Delta flight attendants Susan Johnston and Kimberly Webb, seeks to find an alternate ending to “happily ever after” and change the notion that life begins and ends with finding your Prince Charming. Looking to bolster the poor self-esteem of female youth and the stigma that many single adult women carry, Johnston and Webb believe“this is a book for women of all ages, a story they can believe in and share with their children.” In upcoming adventures, Princess Bubble will travel to distant lands where the knowledge of every new culture will enrich her flourishing life.
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