Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Rad Women, Rad Baby

I grabbed this book thinking that it would be a cool topic to discuss with my 2 year old. Following the #HeForShe movement closely, I want to make sure my baby boy grows up nurtured in the right way. I thought this book might be too high level or too intense for him until I read the last paragraph of the description.
This progressive and visually arresting book is a compelling addition to women's history and belongs on the shelf of every school, library, and home. Together, these stories show the immense range of what women have done and can do. May we all have the courage to be rad!
So I thought I would give it a chance. It's neat to see the women illustrated in black and white so that their ethnicity is more obscured and that the focus is on their profile/resume. There were profiles of women I had heard of like Malala, Marie Curie, Venus and Serena Williams, and Frida Kahl, but the great thing is there were dozens I had not heard of which means the author is bringing them to life.

This book is phenominal and one I will certainly pass on to my children, friends, and family.It really wasn't a great read with the 2 year old - there aren't really eye catching pictures to keep him involved so I passed it onto an 8 and 10 year old - they LOVE it!


Friday, December 9, 2016

Striking Book for a Joke Gift

I grabbed this book as a joke for a friend. Since we love Arrested Development and the cover is one of the stars of the show, I thought what better than to give this to him as a prank. Had I flipped through the actual book, I would've realized my mistake.

The book is EXTREMELY interesting. It challenges the role of tradition, gender, and stereotypes by mixing celebrity males with women's fashion and settings. It takes a very unconventional approach to women's rights. The book might be portrayed as an art form, but I like it better as a political and cultural statement.

The book itself is heavy as a truck. It probably weighs a good 5 pounds so shipping it would be expensive. It's bigger than a normal size sheet of paper - definitely oversized which makes the images have a more lasting impact.

Exploring masculinity and femininity through this book is a neat concept and made a prank into an actual experience.