A Mighty Girl

By Carolyn Danckaert and Aaron Smith, A Mighty Girl Co-Founders

Campaign Update: (5/18/13) The Target Disney Princess Collection page featuring the madeover Merida has been removed.

Campaign Update: (5/17/13) A Mighty Girl has launched a special Keep Merida Brave campaign page!

Statement Update: Appended on 5/17/2013 addressing redesign being a part of limited line of products.

Since launching our petition on May 4, A Mighty Girl -- along with more than 200,000 petition signers -- has been calling on Disney to "Say No to the Merida Makeover and Keep Our Hero Brave!" Despite the overwhelming response from both parents and children -- and contrary to reports in various news outlets that Disney has pulled the madeover design -- Disney continues to promote the redesigned, sexier Merida and this version is emblazoned across Target’s Disney Princess Collection website.

In one of their first public statements on the Merida makeover to the Disney industry blog, Inside the Magic, Disney claimed that the madeover Merida is a "one-time stylized version" for the Target Disney Princess line but, as Ricky Brigante writes, "they could not say exactly how she would be depicted alongside the other Disney Princesses." They further asserted, Brigante notes, that Disney "had no intention of changing who Merida is." However, the madeover version of Merida, as seen on the Target website, shows that Disney has already radically changed the beloved character into a pale reflection of her former self. Continue Reading

Brenda Chapman at the "Brave" premiere in Los Angeles. Image Source: Getty

Oscar-winning Brave writer and director Brenda Chapman, a supporter of A Mighty Girl’s “Keep Merida Brave” petition campaign, granted us her first in-depth interview discussing the Merida makeover. In this Q&A interview with A Mighty Girl co-founder Carolyn Danckaert, Chapman shares her views on the redesign of the character she created and its broader significance.

Danckaert: Before we discuss the makeover, can you tell me in your view what was so special about Merida as a character and how did her original visual depiction speak to that uniqueness?

Chapman: I let Merida's personality guide me as far as her wild hair. I wanted it to visually depict her attitude, her emotional make up so it wasn't just about “Oh look, she has cool red hair.” I wanted to make a statement with it as opposed to suggesting that she’s just trying to look pretty -- which she’s not. That’s just her natural wild, curly hair.

And as far as her body, I wanted to show a regular teenage girl’s body not one that of a girl trying to use push-up bra and go on a major diet or anything. I wanted her to look normal, like how girls look in real life. Continue Reading

Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

Campaign Announcement: A Mighty Girl has launched a special Keep Merida Brave campaign page!

A Mighty Girl's petition to Disney on the redesign of the character of Merida from the film Brave as part of her induction into the Disney Princess collection has attracted over 180,000 signers and a huge amount of media attention.

To help keep our supporters abreast of compelling articles and commentary on our campaign to Keep Merida Brave, we've compiled a collection of articles that address the redesign from a variety of perspectives. All of them effectively point out why many people object to the changes and why the appearance of an animated character has meaning far beyond disappointing fans.

Recommended News Coverage

Merida redesigned - What message is the new look Princess Merida from Disney's Brave sending out?, Jenni Murray, BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Continue Reading

By Carolyn Danckaert, A Mighty Girl Co-Founder

Campaign Announcement: A Mighty Girl has launched a special Keep Merida Brave campaign page!

After our post last Friday about the redesign of the beloved character Merida from the film Brave generated over 800 comments in a single day, we were inspired to launch a petition over the weekend calling on Disney to "Say No to the Merida Makeover and Keep Our Hero Brave!" In its first two days, it collected nearly 20,000 signers and today it surpassed 70,000 signers!

The petition focuses on the redesign of Merida in advance of her induction into the Disney Princess collection. In it, we say to Disney:

"Merida was the princess that countless girls and their parents were waiting for -- a strong, confident, self-rescuing princess ready to set off on her next adventure with her bow at the ready. She was a princess who looked like a real girl, complete with the ‘imperfections’ that all people have.

The redesign of Merida in advance of her official induction to the Disney Princess collection does a tremendous disservice to the millions of children for whom Merida is an empowering role model who speaks to girls' capacity to be change agents in the world rather than just trophies to be admired. Moreover, by making her skinnier, sexier and more mature in appearance, you are sending a message to girls that the original, realistic, teenage-appearing version of Merida is inferior; that for girls and women to have value -- to be recognized as true princesses -- they must conform to a narrow definition of beauty. Continue Reading

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, you may be looking for a few more things you can do to make Mom’s day a little more special. Music is amazingly evocative -- there are few things that can capture complex emotions so quickly -- so why not look for the perfect song to describe your relationship?

A Mighty Girl is proud to present our top ten songs for Mighty Girls and their Mighty Moms: songs that are loving, sweet, and powerful in their depiction of one of the foundational relationships in a girl’s life.

We will describe each song here, but for more details, including information about concerns parents may have about content in either lyrics or video, and to preview songs via embedded YouTube videos, please follow the links to our full entries. Each of these songs, like all of those featured in A Mighty Girl's music collection, is also available through either iTunes or Amazon.com’s MP3 download service via the links on each song's page. By using the links on A Mighty Girl, you also help to support the site at no added cost to you, and can have your Mother’s Day playlist set up in no time!

And, to discover wonderful books celebrating Mighty Moms, check out our previous post entitled: A Mother’s Day Special Feature: Celebrating Mighty Moms and Their Daughters. Continue Reading

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

On Sunday, May 12, people around the world will celebrate Mother’s Day, a tribute to the contributions that mothers make to their families and to their broader communities. For many Mighty Girls, their relationship with their mothers is a very special one, since Mom is their model for just how mighty girls and women can be.

In honor of Mother’s Day, A Mighty Girl is showcasing a few of our favorite books about the special relationship between mothers and daughters. Whether you’re thinking about the love a mother and daughter share, the special times they spend together, or even the times they don’t see eye-to-eye, there’s something in this collection for everyone!

The Love Between Mother and Daughter

A mother is often the first example of unconditional love that a child will experience, and most children love their mother fiercely. These books celebrate the love between mother and child that helps support children until they are ready to be out on their own.

The Mommy Book (0 - 5) by Todd Parr talks about all the ways that mothers are special, no matter what they do — and reminds kids that “all mommies want you to be who you are!” Parr’s distinctive brightly-colored stick figure illustrations capture a diverse selection of moms — working in offices or home with the kids, fishing or shopping, driving motorcycles or minivans — all of whom love their kids to the bottoms of their hearts.

In If Kisses Were Colors (0 - 5) author Janet Lawler and illustrator Alison Jay remind kids that a mother’s love could fill a whole rainbow! Lawler’s lyrical verse is complemented by Jay’s delicate paintings as they capture all the feelings of a mother’s love: warmer than a blanket, stronger than a tree, and, of course, brighter than a rainbow. This book is targeted to young children, but its message is equally appropriate as a gift for a baby shower or Mother’s Day. Continue Reading

If you’re looking for fun clothes that reflect the full diversity of girls’ interests, visit A Mighty Girl’s newly expanded clothing section featuring nearly 450 girl-empowering selections! We’ve recently expanded our clothing collection to include, in addition to our extensive selection of t-shirts, PJs, socks, underwear, and even raincoats and boots. This selection of high-quality, fun clothing includes items for infants, toddlers, children, juniors, and adults, so the whole family can find a favorite!

Once you've entered our clothing section, you can filter the selection in a variety of ways to make it easier to find just the right thing for your Mighty Girl -- or yourself! Our age filter allows you to sort by a variety of age groups, from 0 - 2 to 13+, as well as adults. And, our clothing type filter allows you to view the collection by the different types of clothing described above.

We have divided our collection into nine categories. Our Superheroes, Character Themed, and Literary Themed categories focus on clothing featuring individuals (both fictional and real) that represent strong female characters in a variety of media. The Animals / Nature collection lets nature-loving Mighty Girls showcase their love of the great outdoors and the creatures that live within it. Continue Reading

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

Whether it's from preschool or college, graduations are one way that we mark an important transition in a child's or young person's life. If you know a Mighty Girl who is graduating this year, then in the middle of the flurry of school-end projects and graduation party planning, you’ve probably paused for a moment to reflect on the momentous change coming for both of you.

And, whether she's going to be starting school full-time as a first grader or moving cross-country to attend college, you likely want to pass on some words of wisdom as she takes her first steps into this new stage of life. One great way to do this is by giving her an inspiring book that praises her gifts, exhorts her to achieve her potential, and reminds her that you will always be there when she needs you.

With that in mind, A Mighty Girl is proud to present our top ten Mighty Girl books to empower your graduate in her new life. Unlike in other blogs, we won’t reference age recommendations since these books are truly universal: like Dr. Seuss’ classic Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, the importance of these books is in their message of empowerment and inspiration, not in their reading level. Each one will let your graduate know that a Mighty Girl can always find great things, wherever she may go. Continue Reading

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

“Play is the work of childhood.” — Jean Piaget

Today is Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day, a day in which children all over the world will shadow parents or other mentors through a day at their jobs. Carolyn McKecuen, the president of the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Foundation, shares the value of these experiences:

“Exposing girls and boys to what a parent or mentor in their lives does during the workday is important, but showing them the value of their education, helping them discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life, and providing them an opportunity to share how they envision the future and begin steps toward their end goals in a hands-on and interactive environment is key to their achieving success.... By bringing girls and boys together, we will continue to create a more equitable world — at home, at school, in the workplace, and in the community.”

For children younger than 8, however, a day of job shadowing probably isn’t feasible. How can you provide them with some of the benefits that older kids get from a day at work? One great way is to give them pretend play toys that allow them to roleplay different careers. With that in mind, A Mighty Girl has selected ten toys from our Career / Jobs Collection of pretend play toys to feature. Each toy represents a different career that your Mighty Girl might aspire to, from astronaut to veterinarian. So, let her get down to work with some serious play! Continue Reading

By Jennifer de Beer, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

To visit our expanded "Read Aloud" collection, visit our special feature, found in our "Best of A Mighty Girl" section, on the Top Read Aloud Books Starring Mighty Girls.

“Storytime” typically evokes images of small children seated in a ring on the floor, or perhaps a parent & child cuddled together before bed. Whisked away into a world filled with dragons and magical spells, the nuances of friendships, or glimpses into another time and place, read aloud sessions open up a world of possibilities. Often, these shared stories allow children to engage in material that would be beyond their independent reading levels.

Solid and extensive research exists on the importance and positive effects of reading aloud to young children. A recent analysis of international data, conducted by the OECD, supports the strong link between oral language development and reading skills, and even goes so far as to say that nurturing such skills at an early age is directly related to success rates in later school years. The practice of reading aloud is widely encouraged by many from Day One (if not before!), and the benefits are plentiful: increased literacy, school readiness, stimulation of language development, imagination, and memory -- the list goes on. Reading aloud also provides a prime opportunity for bonding and strengthening the connection with the children in your life. Continue Reading