The Feminist's Guide to Raising a Little Princess

September 1, 2017
The tale of "a small and very cute princess-obsessed little girl and a mother who learned how to Let It Go."Before New York Times parenting columnist Blachor had children, she was convinced she would never let any daughter she had become a girly girl who was absolutely consumed with the color pink and with the traditional Disney-fied portrayal of what a girl should be. Then her daughter, Mari, turned 3 and became obsessed with everything the author wanted to avoid. With a certain amount of mortification, Blachor watched her daughter transform, and she learned certain lessons about parenthood along the way. "There was a lesson to learn if I could only suspend my princess and pink resistance long enough to pay attention to more meaningful issues," she writes. "There was an opportunity to figure something out about parenthood and my need to control." Blachor's descriptions of what happened with Mari are primarily tongue-in-cheek, but she does include a hefty portion of seriousness as she ponders the ramifications for girls and women who embrace the beauty-fashion-color ideals readily portrayed in social media, news media, and particularly through the Disney franchise. By analyzing her daughter's clear obsession, the author was able to identify the points that bothered her the most and begrudgingly and humorously came to grips with them. She shares her insights in a variety of methods, often through lists under the titles "opposite of serious" or "interesting little princess facts." Readers who have a little girl infatuated with pink or who wants to be a princess will enjoy Blachor's uneven but pleasant book for its humor and the understanding that they are not the only ones dealing with similar situations. A final chapter presents a survey featuring a series of teenage perspectives from "young women who once identified as 'princess-obsessed little girls.' " Humor abounds in this semicheeky examination of the pink world of princesses and little girls.

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October 2, 2017
Essayist Blachor cobbles together her haphazardly constructed nonfiction debut from a selection of 14 humorous and satirical essays originally published in venues such as the New York Times and the Huffington Post. Their shared theme is the quandary faced by feminist moms in the form of the hyperfeminine, hypercommercialized “princess culture” promoted to little girls by Disney and mainstream American culture in general. Ongoing sections in each chapter include “Interesting Little Princess Facts,” which highlights disturbing aspects of princess culture (such as that “Tiana is the only Disney princess with a job”), and “Femtastic Godmother,” in which traditional fairy tales are given uninspired feminist rewrites. A long final section of interviews with 16 young women and former “little princesses” is meant to reassure, but should have been winnowed down to only the most insightful answers. Blachor is not empathetic enough to give relatable parenting advice, not enough of a sociologist to delve into cultural trends, and not funny enough to have this much of her work on a fairly narrow topic presented all in one place. This collection provides a few chuckles, but overall, its potpourri of approaches to the princess problem fails to convince. Agent: Jody Kahn, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents.

October 15, 2017
What does a feminist do when her daughter insists on wearing only pink tutus? She writes a hilarious, surprisingly insightful book on parenting. Blachor is at war with Disney and princess-pushing. She terms the big three (Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty) the Sleepy Trio and uses her Femtastic Godmother to rewrite their stories in a slightly more politically correct mode. She is determined to raise her daughter, Mari, as a feminist, but when Mari hits toddlerhood, she suddenly becomes obsessed with princesses. Blachor learns quickly to pick her battles. She's surprised to find, after watching Frozen dozens of times, that Elsa actually has some redeeming qualities. Ultimately, Blachor perceives that the problem is the expectation of perfection, not the allure of princesses and pink. Photos, drawings, charts, quizzes, and Interesting Little Princess Facts keep the tone satirical but fun. Disney princesses may be changing, but let's face it, the rest of the world has some catching up to do. Hand this to a young mom who needs a laugh and some inspiration.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)