Good night stories for rebel girls is a perfect read for anyone tired of princess fairytales. In this book Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo tell the stories of one hundred women — women who are pioneers in their field, have done what others told them they couldn’t and broken through glass ceilings. They are real women: politicians, artists, scientists and athletes, from Cleopatra to Simone Biles. Each story is accompanied with an illustration of the woman, created by sixty female artists from all over the world.
This book is a page-turner. After reading one inspiring story you want to read one more and then one more. The women’s accomplishments are written into a story form that is suitable for younger readers as well. They are made to inspire you and after finishing the book you believe you can do whatever you set your mind to. Fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean like Amelia Earheart or dance in Swan Lake like Misty Copeland.
There’s a lot to be learned from these stories. None of the women portrayed in the book got anything for free. They worked hard for their dreams and they made them come true. But they didn’t do it alone either. They reached their goals with the support of their parents, husbands and colleagues.
Just like any good story, the stories in this book can be scary, intense, funny and sad. They raise emotions but what makes them all the more fascinating is that they are true. That also makes them relatable. At least the most recent ones. Others make you think how different the world has once been, that a female doctor was considered absurd.
Readers of all ages can enjoy reading this book. Everyone: mothers, daughters and sisters alike. The littlest ones can enjoy the big and colorful pictures while listening to the stories. For older readers the book offers a lot to think about. Many of the stories are great examples of how much women’s rights have improved, while others remind us that it is still not the case everywhere in the world. And we can all educate ourselves on the remarkable women who have done some ground-breaking work in their lives and be inspired by them.
In the end of the book there is a blank page. That’s for you to write your own story.