Franny’s father is a feminist, a fact that strengthens the bond she has with her father and empowers her to grow up smart, strong and full of self-confidence. The term “feminist” can be a loaded word for some, encompassing wide-ranging political ideologies and vast social movements, but in a new picture book written by Rhonda Leet and illustrated by Megan Walker, Franny’s dad thinks feminism is pretty simple, and he is raising his daughter to believe that she deserves the same rights, freedoms and opportunities that he had.
Leet’s children’s book Franny’s Father is a Feminist helps young readers recognize that girls can do anything boys can do and illustrates many real-world examples of how feminism influences Franny’s development. Franny’s father is her primary caretaker, as her mother has an unnamed, important job outside the home, so it is daddy who attends ballet recitals and hockey games, who isn’t afraid to cry and who normally bucks gender norms, upending stereotypes about feminism with an honest, childlike understanding. Precious illustrations show young Franny (complete with her pink hair and kitty T-shirt) alongside her father (a strong-looking man with a gnarly beard) engaged in activities from fixing her bike to baiting her own fish hook in obvious examples that this loving dad is teaching his growing child that she deserves the best.
Leet is a teacher and child advocate who grew up in Green Bay and graduated from St. Norbert College with a degree in education. She will visit Boswell Book Co. for an after-school event perfect for children, regardless of gender, and their parents at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 18.
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