From the Publisher
“Femtastic… A powerful book.” —FamilyCircle Magazine “Strong Is The New Pretty is the definition of girl power.” —Buzzfeed “A lovely exploration filled with exquisite images of girls and quotes about what makes them strong, beautiful, and confident … stunning.” —School Library Journal “Positively moving and totally glorious.” —Booklist “This is an amazing celebration of the strength, confidence, and energy of girls and young women who are just beginning to understand their power in the world. Imagine how much more we can all accomplish when girls honor what their bodies can do and focus on their dreams rather than fixate on what they look like and obsess about their shape.” —Ann Shoket, former editor in chief of Seventeen magazine and author of The Big Life “Within the pages of Strong Is the New Pretty, we see girls as they naturally are and what they want and demand the world to see. They are inspiring, wise, and grounded in the certainty that they will take the world by storm.” —Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees & Wannabes and the Owning Up curriculum
Strong Is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves
by Kate T. ParkerGirls being fearless. Girls being silly. Girls being wild, stubborn, and proud. Girls whose faces are smeared with dirt and lit up with joy. So simple and yet so powerful, Strong Is the New Pretty celebrates, through more than 175 memorable photographs, the strength and spirit of girls being 100% themselves. Real beauty isn’t about being a
Editorial Reviews
Publishers Weekly
01/02/2017This collection of girl-power portraiture showcases the message that girls should be encouraged to be themselves, boldly and wildly, eschewing artificial stereotypes perpetuated in a toxic social media culture. Inspired by her two young daughters, Atlanta-based photographer Parker uses her lens, artistic eye, and perspective as a mother to render a beguiling corpus of images of little girls being girls, which means displaying various versions of being strong (section titles include “Wild Is Strong,” “Creative Is Strong,” and so on.) In the introduction, Parker explains, “I didn’t ask them to smile or go put on a pretty dress. I wanted to capture the girls as they were”—except in the case of her daughter Ella, who explains she was “very scared” for her first triathlon. She explains, “My mom took this shot of me the night before and told me that even though I was afraid to race, to try to look tough and fearless.” This captures the book’s flaw: it feels contrived. Most young girls bear the marks of empowerment unselfconsciously and don’t need to be coached. Though the book is intended to celebrate girlhood, its heavy hand signals a more pointed idea of what girlhood ought to be. Photos. (Mar.)
School Library Journal
01/01/2017Gr 3–6—What began as Parker's photography project portraying girls has blossomed into a lovely exploration filled with exquisite images of girls and quotes about what makes them strong, beautiful, and confident. (The text emphasizes that beauty has nothing to do with looks; it's what is on the inside that counts.) The book stresses traits such as resilience, creativity, kindness, and independence. Much of the message driving the work is to embrace different and alternative versions of girlhood and to escape the cultural expectations of what girls should aspire to be (pretty, thin, etc.). The photographs are stunning and range from close-up portraits to action shots. Each picture includes a thoughtful quote from the subject ("Strong girls never lose. They only learn, and come back stronger."). VERDICT The large photos invite browsers to linger and contemplate the girl-positive messages. Recommended.—Cynde Suite, Bartow County Library System, Adairsville, GA
Product Details
- ISBN-13:
- 9780761189138
- Publisher:
- Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
- Publication date:
- 03/07/2017
- Pages:
- 256
- Sales rank:
- 19,081
- Product dimensions:
- 8.50(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.90(d)
Read an Excerpt
CONFIDENT IS STRONG In the workforce, women earn an estimated average of just seventy-nine cents for every dollar their male counterparts make. In sports broadcasting, female athletic competitions represent 5 percent of the allotted airtime. And in film and television, female protagonists make up only 12 percent of cinematic roles. Tell that to Kekai, with the determined stare (page 27) or Caroline, with her unwavering poise as she balances on pointe (page 15). These girls are intelligent and clever, talented and strong—and they know it. They are confident. And they offer hope, too—hope that the inequity will disappear as this generation of girls grows into adulthood. The confidence that they display in these photos will push them through the times when they feel hesitant or unsure or nervous. Confidence will push them, period. The challenge is in holding on to this power, this confidence, so they can help fuel the change that the world needs. Do them a favor and remind these girls of their strength. Remind each other of your strength. Often. Write it down if you need to: the ways in which you are smart, the ways in which you are qualified, the ways in which you are strong. Put them on your wall, say them out loud—internalize them. Believe them. Remind these girls of their strength. Don’t let them waste any precious time wishing they looked like anyone else. Your daughter, your niece, your sister, your cousin—she looks and acts and sings and walks and talks and works and plays like herself.
Meet the Author
KATE T. PARKER is a mother, wife, former collegiate soccer player, Ironman, and professional photographer who shoots both fine art projects and commercial work for clients across North America. Her Strong Is the New Pretty photo series has led to collaborations with brands like Athleta, Kellogg’s, Oxygen, and Girls on the Run. The project has also inspired Kate to launch a philanthropic arm of Strong Is the New Pretty, partnering with organizations that invest in girls’ health and education. When she’s not photographing, she can be found coaching her daughters’ soccer teams. She lives with her family in Atlanta, Georgia.
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