Nen and the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton

Picture books are invaluable when teaching for so many reasons. In this story of courage, determination and, most importantly, love, can Nen and Ernest find their own happy ending? Nen’s father is determined to keep them apart – he sees Ernest as part of the problem with ocean pollution: people. Not everyone wants them to be together, though. One day Ernest hears it and is drawn to Nen. Nen sits on his lonely rock singing a song full of hope, which is carried by the stars. The gorgeous, shimmering cover gives you a hint of the story its pages hold…Ī retelling of the classic ‘Little Mermaid’ story, Ian and James have reworked the traditional tale into one which is diverse and celebrates love, which is right at the heart of the story just as with the original. Why should a sentence or attitude sound more or less acceptable based solely on the character’s gender? Gender Swapped Fairy Tales is a truly thought-provoking and gorgeously illustrated collection.I was so excited to be invited to be part of the blog tour for this beautiful book. I love that this book can open up discussions about prejudice and gender inequality. And something that once felt dated, now feels modern. Suddenly something that felt acceptable now sounds questionable. As a result, the stories feel so familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time – you know what is going to happen next, but it feels different.

All of the story text remains unchanged except for the gender identifiers which have been swapped using an algorithm, created by Jonathan. The stories themselves are from the well-known Fairy Books edited by Andrew Lang, published around 1889-1913. Technically this is multiple fairy tales, but it is one book, and if there was only one book I could recommend, then it would be this one. Gender Swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett So, here are my top five favourite twisted (or unusual) fairy tales… They are a fantastic way to start conversations with children and break down stigma.

Classic fairy tales fill me with nostalgia but what’s even better is seeing the stereotypes challenged. One of the reasons I was so excited to write I am NOT a Prince is because I love reading twisted fairy tales, both as an adult-reader and sharing them with my children.

Nen and the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton