Breaking 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 as Cinder 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!

Related posts:

• Jousting with the Princess Factory


• Empowering Children: My Daughter’s Letter to Disney


• Barbie Doll Art: 32,000 Boob Jobs a Month

Via: Eco Child's Play

Journey for the Planet

When doing research for another post, I discovered David Gershon's Journey for the Planet: A Kid's Five Week Adventure to Create an Earth-friendly Life. I wondered what children would be encouraged to do and how this compared to other books providing "eco tips" for young people. This book is unique, as it creates a game for the children to play alone or in teams as they implement actions as part of the climate change solution.

You are about to go on an amazing journey-one that will help you and the planet. It will be fun, challenging, and exciting. Over a five week period you will learn how to take action to use our Earth's precious and limited natural resources with greater care.

The journey begins with Earthy, a friendly earthworm. Each week has its own special animal guide that offers special knowledge to children. The five weeks are divided into:

1. Dumping on Garbage


2. Wasting Water Is All Wet


3. Getting a Charge Out of Saving Energy


4. Good Buys are Forever


5. Watch Out Planet, Here I Come!

Each week children decide what actions they are going to take, get help from their parents, keep track of actions completed, and then get "Global Hero Points". These points could be used for children to compete against each other in teams in the classroom, a perfect unit for the approaching Earth Day. Suggested actions include:

• Bringing your own container for leftovers at a restaurant rather than accepting a "doggie" bag.


• Using a cup of water when brushing your teeth rather than running the tap water.


• Turn out the lights when you leave a room.


• Become a loaner and let friends borrow toys, books, etc.

I like how this book gives children choices and does not expect them to complete all of the actions. I also like how children earn points, thus making a game out of it which could easily be adapted for the classroom. Journey for the Planet is a kid-friendly book published by the Empowerment Institute.

This post originally appeared on Eco Child's Play.

Writing Books With Children: Rainbow Bridge Birthday

I won't pretend to be an expert on Waldorf education; however, I have done some research. Some of the ideas I agree with, and some of the ideas I question. The emphasis on natural toys and natural materials is obviously an attractive one to me. Another idea I love is the story of Rainbow Bridge. On each child's birthday, their story of crossing the rainbow bridge at birth is told. Each story is unique to the child.

When searching for a meaningful gift for my children's birthdays, I came across this tradition. There's a company called Crossing the Bridge Books that will write your child their very own picture book about their birth story with details you provide. You can even view sample stories on their website. These books are truly beautiful! Here is a quote about Waldorf birthday stories from Crossing the Bridge Books:
"The story follows the life of the child, beginning in the heavens to their journey on earth. Each story is different and unique. This is not a “fill in the blank” type story. Although all the stories have the same general flow and carry some of the same elements, each is individually written. Much thought, reflection, and the family’s intention go into every book.
Each story speaks of a spiritual being, or a “little angel” who finds her way to earth by choosing earthly parents and receiving gifts from the heavens before crossing over the rainbow bridge to join humanity. It then gives expression to the child, the child’s family and their life. The ending includes mention of the child’s present birthday."

One drawback to Crossing the Bridge Books is the price! For two books, I would need to spend about $100! I knew that we could create a very nice photo book with Shutterfly for about $30, so I decided to work with my daughter to write and illustrate our own version of the Rainbow Bridge Story. Besides, creating our own book would be an authentic task and more meaningful. Since my children's birthdays are only two days apart, we decided to write one book that includes both of their stories. After completing a rough draft of the story, I had my friend and neighbor Marilyn read it and give me some feedback. Her sensitive comments and suggestions helped me to polish the story into one that would form a lasting birthday ritual for our family. Next, we created watercolor illustrations with a permanent marker and salt, in addition to the watercolors. I scanned the pictures into the computer and uploaded them to Shutterfly. Then we added the text to each page in the story's layout. Here is our story:

Crossing the Rainbow Bridge

Two angels were drawn together in spirit and love. One was a boy angel, and one was a girl angel. They flew from star to star together, collecting light, love, and warmth. The angels voyaged to the brightest star. This radiant sun bestowed the gift of compassion to the angels. Next, they traveled to the Moon. The Moon bestowed the gift of wisdom to the angels. On the moon, the two angels heard the calling from humanity to start their lives on earth and share the celestial gifts they had gathered. Gazing at the planet from the Moon, they beheld the beauties of the oceans and forests. Together, they searched earth’s population for the perfect parents, humans who could show them love and kindness and wisdom in exchange for the love and kindness and wisdom of the angels. Floating on the waters of Earth, they discovered the perfect father. Walking amongst the tall trees, they found the perfect mother. Together, this couple would welcome the angels with open arms and hearts. Now they were ready for the journey across the rainbow bridge.

The girl angel decided to go first, while the boy angel would wait for the Earth to travel three times around the Sun before joining her. The girl angel set out for her journey across the rainbow bridge. As she soared down the colorful spectrum through the clouds and sky, she took human form inside her mother’s womb. For 40 weeks, the angel grew inside her mommy’s body, always letting her mother know her presence was there. Then one day in the summer, she made her entrance into the outside world, born into water. The angel was given the earthly name M, a gift meaning in the likeness of God. She was a big, beautiful, healthy baby who hungrily drank from the nectar of her mother’s milk. She opened her eyes, turned her head, and looked around at her father, grandmother, and magical midwives. They joyously sang to her,
We all came to welcome you, we all came to your birth
We all came to welcome you, to welcome you to Earth
And I was there to love you, I was there to love you,
I was there to love you and lend my body for
Your safe and gentle journey here
Through heaven’s open door.

In the first year of her life, she thrived, learning to crawl and then walk. In her second year of life, she learned how talk and express her wishes. In her third year of life, she learned how to form friendships and anxiously awaited the arrival of the boy angel, ever hopeful, ever loving, ever kind, as part of the angel remained strong in the girl.

One night in her dream, the girl called out to the boy angel and told him it was his time to come to earth and take human form. He made his way across the rainbow bridge to his mother’s womb. He thrived in her body, gently reminding her of his presence for 41 weeks. Then one summer day, he made his entrance into the outside world, born into water. The angel was given the earthly name D, a gift meaning of the sea. His father, mother, sister, grandmother, and magical midwives sang out in joy
We all came to welcome you, we all came to your birth
We all came to welcome you, to welcome you to Earth
And I was there to love you, I was there to love you,
I was there to love you and lend my body for
Your safe and gentle journey here
Through heaven’s open door.

The little boy’s heart was not strong enough to hold all the love. He kept his eyes closed, shutting out the material world. He slept and slept, hoping to return to the security of his mother’s womb. He would not drink from the nectar of his mother’s milk. The baby boy was exhausted from bringing so much love into the human world. For three days, his family prayed for strength, begging him to thrive and teach them the wisdom he had brought to share. He felt their love and answered their prayers. A magical healer with large, gentle hands made his heart stronger to hold all the love. So, in the first year of his life, this beautiful boy healed his human body. In the second year of his life, he learned to crawl and walk, ever cautious, ever loving, ever filled with sweetness, as part of the angel remained strong in the boy.

The family was whole and filled with light and warmth. The angels brought joy and love to the Earth, as well as each other. They played together, enjoying their renewed companionship as humans. Their bond was special, beginning in times before the journey across the rainbow bridge.

Here's another quote from Sacred Centers about Crossing the Rainbow Bridge:
"Crossing the Rainbow Bridge is a mythic metaphor for the evolution of consciousness. Historically the rainbow has always been a sign of hope, a colorful arc of beauty that connects Earth to Heaven and humans to the Gods. To walk the Rainbow Bridge is to reclaim our own divinity and bring Heaven down to Earth, where it is so desperately needed at this time."

Shutterfly stores your projects in your account, so you can go back and order additional copies easily. I gave my elderly grandmother a copy of our book, and it is her most prized possession.

My Bag and Me!

My Bag and Me!, written by Karen Farmer and illustrated by Gary Currant, is a cute rhyming board book about the benefits of using reusable shopping bags. The little boy in the story has his own shopping bag he takes to the store. He also reminds his mother to do the same.

Then it's off to the checkout where we've all been before. I hand over My Bag and say, "Paper and plastic no more!" We feel really good when our shopping is done. We've saved so many bags by using this one!

My Bag and Me! comes with a reusable, small shopping bag. My only criticism is that the bag is made from Tyvek, a Dupont product. Dupont doesn't exactly have a clean environmental record, and Tyvek is not as long lasting or washable as a cloth shopping bag. Furthermore, the bag and book both claim to be 100% recyclable, although I've never seen Tyvek accepted at a recycling center, and neither bag nor book are made from post consumer content.

500 billion paper and plastic bags are used each year globally! These "free" bags actually cost $4 billion dollars a year, and thus consumers pay the price for them in other ways. It is also staggering to consider that it takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose, and we have all seen the litter they create.

I think that giving your child their own reusable shopping bag is a great idea! My daughter immediately asked if she could take the Tyvek bag to town with us today and use it for her shopping. She also filled it with goodies from our kitchen and pretended to be on a shopping spree. I think I will get her a cloth shopping bag that she can decorate as her very own. Just like the character in the book, if she remembers her bag, it is more likely that I will remember to use mine and not leave them at home.

This post originally appeared on Eco Child's Play.

Tera's Dawn

Tera's Dawn by Susan K. Schank and illustrated by Denise Seah is the story of a wild horse who is captured. Upon captivity, she discovers her mother in her new, domesticated home. She then devises a way to free them both, which is imminently important as her mother is getting old and is no longer useful as a plow horse. They succeed in escaping and return to the wild herd.

By the soft glow of the full moon, Tera and her mother galloped back toward the meadow that was their home. Passing the willow grove, Tera knew they would be back with the herd by morning. She thought about the last several months. She would not have been able to free her mother if she had not been captured.

As a child, I had a strong affinity for horses. My daughter has inherited this affinity, and Tera's Dawn speaks directly to these equine interests. I love the illustrations, and the story illuminates the love between a mother and daughter, no matter what the species.

My Mom Hugs Trees

I have to admit, I am a mom who hugs trees. There's even a black and white self-portrait of me hugging a cedar tree in my mother's house. Since before my children were born, I have hiked to a sacred yew tree on my land, hugged it, and said my prayers several times a week.

Sometimes my children join in, sometimes they just explore the yew grove. Last winter, my hugging yew tree fell over after a great snow fall. I still hug it, and it is still alive, but I must lean over to hug my tree now.

My daughter can definitely relate to My Mom Hugs Trees, written by Robyn Ringgold and illustrated by Vidya Vasudevan. This rhyming book is the story of a mother that not only hugs trees, but she talks to plants, rescues bugs instead of killing them, plants seeds from the fruit they eat, asks the flowers if she can pick them, etc. OK, she's a hippie!

After bedtime stories, Mom says good night to the moon and stars. "Good night, Moon. Good night, Stars. Thank you for your light from afar.

The only difference between the mom in this book and myself, is I do kill ticks, but my daughter hears me tell the dead ticks, "I hope you have an auspicious rebirth," as I dispose of them.

My Mom Hugs Trees is published by Solar Publishing.

Solar Publishing promotes cultural awareness, planetary responsibility and holistic living. We are an energetic combination of passion, creativity and a genuine interest in enhancing life on this planet.

We are committed to educating and uplifting youth so that they can live responsibly and be equipped to make conscious choices as they grow. Children are our future and Solar Publishing's focus is to nourish their minds and help them to feel connected to nature and diverse peoples in hopes that they understand themselves and their role on the planet.

Solar Publishing books are printed on wood-free or recycled paper. Through a
partnership with the organization Trees for the Future, a tree is planted for every book sold.

My Mom Hugs Trees is a delightful book, that may just inspire you to go hug a tree with your children. The illustrations are fun, and "You have to admit-jumping over bugs is kind of fun to do!"

This post originally appeared on Eco Child's Play.

Mbutu's Mangos

Mbutu's Mangos by Zaccai Free and illustrated by Vidya Vasudevan is another excellent book by Solar Publishing (see My Mom Hugs Trees). The story is a reflection of Zaccai's experiences living in Central America, in which he learned about "plants, people, and the simple life". Mbutu's Mangos also comes with a CD of Zaccai reading the story.

Mbutu loves mangos, just like my children. He notices that when the mangos are ripe, a lot of fruit is wasted rotting on the ground below the trees. He pledges to stop this waste and not let a single mango rot. I've had similar thoughts when I see the rotting apples below my fruit trees. Mbutu devises a "mango saver" by assembling fishing nets under the branches to catch the fruit before it hits the ground. His mango saver is a great success; however, the mangos begin to rot on the bottom of the net. Eventually, the mangos all fall on Mbutu's head when the net breaks, much to the laughter of my children when we read this story. Mbutu feels disappointed, until his father teaches him about the cycle of life:

Mbutu, that's part of life. A mango starts off as a seed, and then it builds up flesh and skin to attrachttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gift birds, animals, and people like us. We eat the sweet, juicy fruit and throw away the seed, which soon sprouts and becomes a new seedling. Some of the seedlings mature into new trees. We can't eat all the mangos, so some of them have to rot. After the flesh rots, the seed has a chance to become a new tree. See Mbutu, everything in life goes in a circle. The fruit must rot so a new tree can begin.

As I've mentioned before, I like supporting independent publishers of children's books. Not only do these companies have values, but they also give a voice to author's with important messages for children that might not get the attention of a large publisher. Solar Publishing's mission is

To enlighten the lives of others through various media designed to promote cultural awareness and inspire, educate, and uplift youth to live in harmony with themselves, the planet and its inhabitants.

This review originally appeared on .