Princesses do it for themselves in alternative fairy tales

CINDERELLA will go to the ball without her Prince Charming in a new book of re-imagined “feminist fairy tales” that will be distributed to primary schools across the UK.

Aiming to challenge gender stereotypes, Fairer Tales: Princesses Doing it for Themselves aims to “tackle the financial gender gap” by showing young girls that they can achieve their goals independently.

Written by Emma Todd, an awardwinning author. the illustrated book reimagines the tales of three traditional fairytale heroines, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel who, rather than waiting on their Prince to save the day, all use their own skills to realise their happily-ever-afters.

Cinderella swaps her glass slippers for homemade trainers and launches her own shoe-design business, Sleeping Beauty turns down an offer of marriage and Rapunzel chops off her hair before escaping the captive tower and becoming a property developer.

The book is released after research into financial literacy by HSBC UK found differing levels of financial confidence between boys and girls, with 64 per cent of girls feeling they don’t “understand money” compared to just 52 per cent of boys.

Laverne Antrobus, a psychologist on the Channel 4 programme The Secret Life of 4 and 5 Year Olds, collaborated on the book. She said: “Ensuring that both boys and girls can see empowered female characters is important in building confidence.”

Hard copies of the book will be distributed to 115 primary schools across the country.

A short-haired Rapunzel goes into the property business in Fairer Tales: Princesses Doing It For Themselves, an illustrated children’s book aimed at overcoming gender stereotypes