Anchovy's sparky DD needs better role models than Disney sodding Princesses

[Anchovy]

DD is 3.5. She is opinionated, bright as a button and extremely feisty. She will doubtless grow up to be either a James Bond heroine or prime minister

She has a fairly wide range of reading materials - likes Hairy McLary, Richard Scarry, etc. But what she really loves are princess/fairy-related things generally. I am (borderline!) fine about this, but I am absolutely sick to the back teeth of the Disney Princess books and their ilk.

I categorically refuse to read her stories where the plot line revolves around - I kid you not - waiting for "love's true kiss". Without exception the heroines are passive, wimpy and blonde and the story involves marrying a handsome prince (except the Little Mermaid, where I think he marries someone else, so she dies). There is one particularly noxious one, involving, a handsome prince called, I think, Brian, who the princess decorates the castle for and he says "what wonderful taste you have". I refuse to read things to DD which relate to pleasing a man called Brian with your exquisite taste in interior decor.

So far I have dealt with this by reading the stories in a weedy voice and shouting "Well, thats PANTS!" every so often. But what I really need is some clever, funny fairy stories with clever, funny heroines. Does anyone have any recommendations?

My SIL was telling me about a story where the princess wants to be grumpy and set fire to things and the dragon wants to do princess-y stuff, so they swap - I will ask her what it is called (may take some time, she doesn't respond to email!)

I wonder if characters like Uhura from Star Trek are the way to go. No less a figure Martin Luther King told the actress that she was a great role model.
Point about Uhura was that she wasn't a black woman. OK, she was a black woman but her character wasn't based upon this. She was a competent professional doing her job in sometimes difficult circumstances.
A lot of "positive role models"are amazingly patronising, with them being "special in other ways", Uhura just pushed buttons, usually failing to get in contact on any hailing frequence, but no less sucessful than Spock whose ultra intelligence and sensors never ever managed to work out what the scanners are picking up.

Robert MUnsch has written some fabulous books, not just the Paperbag Princess ( which is tops as loads of you have mentioned!)

Clarice Bean, but it's probably too old for a 3.5yo. We like Blue Kangaroo too. DDs like Princess Smartypants but I don't!

The Incredibles - Elastigirl & Violet are fab and why oh why oh why did all the bloody dressing-up clothes have muscle chests. Aarghghghh.

My DD1 still liked Poppy & Sam from Usborne Farmyard Tales at that age. Poppy is very capable and funny!

Yes, we are big Incredibles fans (Edna is my favourite!)

DominiConnor, with due respect, you are missing the point. DD is 3.5 and not going to watch Star Trek at any time in the near future. Plus her nanny is black and a fantastic role model. Its the pigging books that are driving me crazy.

So glad to know that I am not the only one who criticises these sort of wimpy stories. Have felt vaguely guilty in case I was stunting a perfectly natural growth phase in my dds.

Disney heroines are bleughh. Their faces have so little character.

My children love Shrek, but your dd is a bit young? The animations and the story have so much more life than Disney princesses. We have got the film, but it may be available as a book?

actually, I cant stand anything to do with princesses anyway. Have indoctrinated the dc that royal families are just the greediest ones who grabbed the most in the old days, and should all be got rid of.

Anchovy - got answer from SIL - it is the princess and the dragon and it sounds like a good fit for your DD!

Exbury, that princess and the dragon book looks FAB - thanks a lot.

I think I'm going to order that and the paper bag princess right now!

The "Alanna" series by Tamora Pierce - there are four books about a girl who runs off to become a knight. There is a prince, but she passes him over for the King of Thieves. They are really cool and you can get them on Amazon. (I've just ordered the whole lot as my sister has "acquired" all our childhood books!) I don't think they are in print in England any more, only USA according to my sister.

Sorry - misread your post and thought your dd was 8.5 not 3.5. Alanna books too old, but worth keeping in mind for the future...

Another idea, and one I am quite sure your dd will love. And if not I will send mine over to read to (& convince) yours:

.. poems. Witty, lively, punchy, anti-stereotype, verging on rude. Such as Roger McGough:

To amuse
emus
on warm summer nights

Kiwis
do wiwis
from spectacular heights

just about everything of Michael Rosen's

and, what made me particularly think of sparky daughter heroines, Ogden Nash's "Isabel" - though there's more to it than on that link.

We have a lovely book called "Read Me and Laugh" which bills itself as "a funny poem for each day of the year". Lots of brilliant things.

There is a resourceful near-princess, Silver Bud, in The Land of Green Ginger - she is a near-princess in that like Portia (actually very very like Portia) she has various suitors vying for her hand & having to demonstrate their worthiness via Tasks, which she sets with subtlety. She is a little demure, and not the lead character, but a good role model nevertheless.

Ds would like me to insert a smiley here:

Thanks Bink and Bink's DS

I liked the poetry suggestion - although it is something I want to start with DS (5) first.

I vividly remember my Spike Milligan when I was the same age:

"Rope is thicker
But string is quicker"

oh yes - we were in our favourite cafe today, which is a bizarre tiny place with a pianola and shelves and shelves of books (many of which appear to be cast-offs from the Lycee Francais's library) - & dd found a battered paperback of Spike's poems - I'd forgotten the really bonkers drawings, with dotted eyelines to show you who was looking where at what. (Why?)

Just wanted to update this to say that I bought "the Paper Bag Princess" at the weekend and DD loves it. I heard her explaining to our nanny this morning that "the dragon is bigger than her but she is cleverer and because she is cleverer she beats the dragon". Y-a-a-a-y!!

And as an added bonus, DS (5.6) also really likes it. (His best friend at achool is a girl who is easily as resourceful and up-front as the Paper Bag Princess, but I'd like to think he is no Prince Ronald!)

I also bought a good looking version by Lauren Child of the Princess and the Pea. We are well versed in the sickly sweet original, so this looks great as well.

Thanks all!

Oh I can't remember if it was mentioned earlier in thread but there is also a v funny book by Francesca Simon called Don't Cook Cinderella.