Cherish My Daughter

Black Red Riding Hood, mother and grandmother. All with beautiful loosely coiled natural hair. Black author AND illustrator! Beautiful art work. The above was Mg3's choice for story time today. I've heard several versions of this story and wondered which path this author would take. While all the characters but the wolf and woodsman were Black, Pinkney kept the details and culture of the story the same as the traditional versions I've read. The main character is named Red Riding Hood because of a red hooded cape she wears everywhere. Red lives in a village with her mother. She's instructed by her mother to deliver soup and muffins directly to her grandmother who lives in the woods. Calamity ensues both for Red and her grandmother when she disobeys her mother by allowing a wolf in the woods to distract and trick her. I cringed a little as I read about the wolf swallowing the grandmother whole and later doing the same to Red. I closely watch Mg3's face. She l...

This is an old one--1997! I was watching it with my daughter the other day and had a completely different reaction from when I watched it as my much younger self when it aired on TV. I remember spending the first twenty minutes of the movie arguing with the multi-racial cast and refusing to accept a world where race is completely ignored. My hair wasn't natural and I didn't even notice the celebration of the diversity of our choice of styles as women of African descent. I was delighted to discover this movie all over again. There are some things I would change about the movie, but I think if a mother is determined to share the Cinderella story with her daughter, this is a unique one to offer. All my girls especially enjoyed the music. Check out my video review for more detail on my thoughts and concerns.

We spend so much time trying to pull negative things out of our kids, but how much time do we really spend purposefully offering them a desirable alternative. When it comes to promoting a healthy self image in our daughters (and sons), I'm learning that I really need to be proactive. I need to present to my children the norm I want them to have. If you're reading this blog, I'm probably preaching to the choir --clearly YOU read-- but we really need to be reading to our kids. Some of us are juggling so much and I know it can be hard even to find a moment to breathe, but we must read to our children. I believe it is a highly effective tool to foster rich discussion about a plethora of issues. I always marvel at how much my kids are drawn to images. Are you sick of listening to them watch their favorite video over and over yet? If we give them the opportunity, kids will do the same with books they love. I often find mine staring and thinking. What if the image they are...

What a unique spin to an old favorite! I think the relationship emphasized in the story Ponyella is sweet and a really positive message to share with young girls. Check out my book review video here . *Also--I have set up multiple playlists on the YouTube channel to help make it easy to find what you may be looking for. For discussion: Have you come across any new versions of classics you like? I really like some of the animal versions, but I also like the people versions with a special twist. Ever watched the movie Penelope ? I don't recommend this movie for young girls, because I'm not interested in introducing my girls to a lot of romance at an early age. Also, I'm not sure that the way Hollywood does romance, sends the best messages toward helping people to develop realistic and wholesome partnerships. That said, I enjoy a good chic flick as much as any other woman, but it's getting harder and harder to look the other way at the questionable content. Anyway....

And you know what? I don't blame her! Come see why here .

You've been asking how to instill a positive self image in your girls, and one of the most effective tools I've used is flooding them with positive images of black beauty. I try to find stories that celebrate things they experience in their own lives. Why should they feel important if they never see themselves as central figures in books and entertainment? I review the following books: 1. Shante Keys and the New Year's Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport 2. I love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley 3. Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield 4. The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Patricia McKissack 5. Satchel Paige: Don't Look Back by David A. Adler 6. Cornrows by Camille Yarbrough I make mention of the following: 1. Rosa by Nikki Giovanni The focus of this review was on the images, but in the future I will review one book per video and give a summary of the stories with some insight on what I liked, disliked, and where the conversation went with my girls. Che...