Are you sitting comfortably?  

Then I'll begin.....the story behind the book.

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Jonathan - his (very progressive Father) would read him and his sister bedtime stories and secretly change the genders of the characters.  This, said Jonathan made the stories far more interesting for him to read and provided the young siblings with exciting fresh characters who didn't conform to old gender stereotypes.

Fast forward 30 years and young Jonathan Plackett now a creative technologist is married to Karrie Fransman, a comic writer and artist.  They have a daughter of their own and they want her to grow up in a world where little girls can be powerful and where little boys can express their vulnerability without anger.  

So.....Jonathan developed an algorithm that could swap the gender of any text and just like that - Gender Swapped Fairytales came to life.

"Right before our eyes, fascinating new characters were created and stereotypes were laid bare.  We saw princesses in shining armour racing to rescue their sleeping princes.  Kings sat by windows sewing and longing for a child.  Kind-hearted young me were rewarded for looking past the flaws of beastly princesses.  The stories took on a new dimension, effortlessly highlighting the gender biases within the original text."

It's beautifully illustrated too - with attention to detail, wonderful decorative costumes and settings inspired by the origins of the stories.

Fairytales were the obvious place to start the swapping journey, they are usually the first stories we are exposed to as young children.  Good and evil and moral codes are hidden between the lines.  Gender Swapped Fairytales creates a parallel universe, and new power balances with a very modern spin.  

Karrie & Jonathan live locally in fact they are Ian's neighbours - and so we are really lucky and delighted that they have signed our copies for sale making it an exceptionally great gift with a difference.