See Inside the New Book Teaching Girls They Can Change the World

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takepart.com - An imaginary princess rescued by true love’s kiss—or saved from a life of domestic servitude by a guy and a glass slipper. Despite the girl-power success of the movie Frozen, there’s no denying that most fairy tales depict traditional gender roles. Two female entrepreneurs hope to give kids an alternative with a children’s book about prominent women who have defied the odds to become world-renowned scientists, artists, and athletes—all without the help of Prince Charming.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls features 100 stories of inspiring women throughout history, from Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th-century naturalist and scientific illustrator, toRuth Bader Ginsburg, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, to Yusra Mardini, a Syrian refugee training in Berlin for the 2016 Olympics.

“Traditional fairy tales always show women and girls who need a prince, a hunter, or a brother to be saved,” Elena Favilli, a creator of the book, which is geared to six- to 10-year-olds, wrote in an email to TakePart. “We wanted to offer a new type of fairy tale, where examples of real women can inspire young girls to explore, learn, and dream without limits. We think this is what a modern fairy tale should teach.”

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