It’s the time of year when parents start to think about the gifts they want to give their young ones. If you are anything like us, we’re all about meaningful gifts that can leave an impression, while also being very useful (gotta tick all those boxes!). If you are looking for a badass gift idea to give the young feminist activist in your life this season, then Downtown Bookworks have got you covered.
Feminist Flashcards, by Julie Merberg and Samantha Guss introduces kids 5 and up to 40 iconic feminists from Malala Yousafzai to Sojourner Truth. The cards feature bite-sized bios and inspiring quotes. Available now for $14.99, the littlest feminist can practice their letters and play games with the cards. And the rest of us can use them to celebrate the amazing women who have pushed boundaries, challenged the status quo, and made the world a better place.
“The flashcard format—tiny bites of important information and super cool art—makes it really enjoyable to learn about incredible women without having to plow through a dry textbook,” says author Julie Merberg. Julie and Samantha selected a diverse group of women including Eleanor Roosevelt, Janet Mock and the Feminist Five, and explain what they did to make the world a better, safer, more interesting place. Every flashcard features a funky portrait by illustrator Alyssa M. Gonzalez, a concise summary of accomplishments, and an inspiring quotation.
But it’s not just the people buying these cards that will get to learn about someone new, the creators themselves also had the opportunity to get familiar with some badass women from around the world in their research.
“I had never heard of Loujain Alhathloul, a Saudi women’s rights activist. She was arrested for daring to drive before women were legally allowed to do so in her country. And she is in jail now—she actually refused a release deal that would have required her to deny that she was tortured in jail. We don’t touch on violence in the cards, but she is amazingly brave and bold,” said Julie.
“Tang Qunying! She was a poet, a publisher, a revolutionary, and a suffragist who delivered what I like to think of as the most famous slap in Chinese history onstage at a political convention when a former ally threw women’s suffrage under the bus,” said Samantha.
They also got to learn about some of the barriers these women had to overcome, and how far women in many countries around the world still have to go even today.
“I guess it shouldn’t be surprising, but it’s depressing to see how hard it is for women in many parts of the world to get an education. It’s the ultimate form of oppression,” said Julie.
“There are some really weird, highly specific laws in place around the world. In Moldova, a woman cannot drive a bus with more than 14 seats. In France, a woman cannot carry a load heavier than 55 pounds, but can carry a load of up to 99 pounds if she uses a wheelbarrow. Who comes up with this stuff?” said Samantha.
Samantha shared her favorite quote from the book, which definitely speaks to the current socio-political movement we are seeing in the United States as well as around the world.
“I love the Nawal El Saadawi card: “I speak loudly, because I am angry.” That’s a great lesson for girls. Sometimes you have to speak loudly when you’re angry! Your voice is important,” she said.
The creators and illustrator hope the cards will be a source of inspiration while also being a fun and productive way to learn.
“I hope everyone can learn something new from these cards as I did, see a little bit of themselves in each of these women, and then use their stories as fuel to create the next inspiring feminist moments!” said Alyssa.
Head over to the Downtown Bookworks website to purchase your set of Feminist Flashcards today!
