calling the secret feminist cabal

[kalmn]

anyone have any ideas for or pointers to books or movies appropriate for a four year old (not quite reading on her own yet) that have female heroes or superheroes in them? batgirl, supergirl, and other maleheroname-girl ones don't count.

i came up with lilo and stitch and wonder woman, but past that i'm all terminator two and the alien movies, which are not so good for four year olds.

there's a kiddo who wants to be a boy so she can be spiderman, which is right up there with kicking puppies on the sadness scale for me.

any ideas, or any lists you can point me at would be great.

Comments

[j00j]

I can dig up a couple of things, but this is not my area of librarian expertise. I'm going to ask some librarian friends.

This database may help: http://www.dawcl.com/introduction.html

From: http://ccb.lis.illinois.edu/bibliographies/magic_oct2005.html

Cullen, Catharine Ann. The Magical, Mystical, Marvelous Coat. illus. by David Christiana. Little, 2001. 5-8 yrs.
A young girl uses the magical buttons on her coat to rescue fairy folk in distress.

Milord, Susan. Willa the Wonderful. written and illus. by Susan Milord. Houghton, 2003. 5-8 yrs.
Willa is "magically" in the right place at the right time and saves the day, thus restoring her faith in the fairy princess profession.

[j00j]

From a site on graphic novels for kids:
http://www.noflyingnotights.com/sidekicks/core.html#age

the Castle Waiting books http://www.noflyingnotights.com/sidekicks/fantasy.html#castlewaiting1

and maybe Scary Godmother? I haven't read that one, I think, but it's Jill Thompson and I liked her art in Sandman very much.

[betonica]

I'm sure there are better examples, but I saw "Tangled" recently and was delighted with it. For one thing, it's quite funny. And for another, Rapunzel may have a prince (well, okay, he's actually a thief in this version) to "rescue" her, but she pretty much does all the rescuing herself. Nicely retold, but still silly fluffy Disney. I suppose the witch/"mother" might be a little traumatizing.

[pants_of_doom]

Mark Crilley's comic, Akiko.

[the_siobhan]

Hereville is about a girl hero, although not a superhero.

[boxofdelights]

I've watched a little She-Ra lately. It's sentimental and formulaic, and the voices are almost unbearably annoying, but it is genuinely feminist. She-Ra's the hero, the problem-solver, the rescuer. She helps others and gets help from them. She gets praised for bravery, strength, agility, intelligence, and persistence in the face of trouble. And she *doesn't* get praised for self-sacrifice: when she overcomes hardship to rescue a friend, he says "You're a true friend" and she says "You'd do the same for me."

[vito_excalibur]

Runaways might be a little old for her, but in 3 or 4 years would be good, I think.

I keep hearing fantastic things about the My Little Pony reboot.

Amy Unbounded is not about superheroes but is one of the best comics for kids - or adults - I've ever read.

Man, I just don't know enough about what kids read. That'll have to change...