T’s Reads: What Does a Princess Really Look Like? by Mark Loewen

As two mums raising a son, it’s imperative to us that he grows up knowing that women are equal to men. You could say that we’re raising a little feminist. Therefore, this needs to be reflected early on, whether it’s in the games that we play, the films we watch, and the books we read. I want this to be his normality.

Many years ago, however, things weren’t like this. Girls were treated very differently and certainly weren’t encouraged to do ‘boys’ things. Girl’s aspirations were based around beauty and pretty things. Although my mum raised my sister and I away from this, it was hard when the TV you watched said otherwise.

Going on what the TV said, I certainly was not a princess.

What Does A Princess Really Look Like?

As part of the up-and-coming Brave Like A Girl series, the author, Mark Loewen, writes about Chloe and her adventure to create her very own princess.

Oh, and she just so happens to have two dads.

Chloe dreams of being a ballerina, but today she’s not practising her twirls, she decides to explore her craft drawer and sets out on making her very own princess ballerina. Starting with her head, Chloe soon realises that princesses are not just about beautiful hair and sparkly dresses.

The illustrations throughout this book are beautiful and in keeping with the font and flow of the book, and we love how the fact that Chloe having two dads is irrelevant to the story. The book is crammed full of motivation to encourage self-worth, and sends a wonderful message to children of all ages and gender.

Mark Loewen, the author, is a psychotherapist and a father. He and his partner became dads to their daughter through open adoption.

Within his busy schedule, he also started Brave Like A Girl, an organisation that helps girls overcome challenges by tapping into their courage and strength.

I think what I loved most about this book is that Chloe didn’t need her princess to be perfect. Along the way there are a few mishaps, which at first upsets Chloe, but those mistakes soon turn into something even better. For me, this encourages the reader to understand that you don’t need to be someone else’s ‘perfect’, that you are perfect just the way you are.

For Chloe, it’s perfect being imperfect. She is quite the character.

This book is well timed for today’s world and sends a fantastic message to readers. There’s also a fab feature at the back of the book where your children can create their own princess.

Disclosure: We received a copy of What Does a Princess Really Look Like? by Mark Loewen in exchange for promotion on social media, however we love this book so much that we thought we’d share it here. All thoughts, opinions, and images are our own.