Strong Is the New Pretty

Goodreads Summary:

“Girls being fearless. Girls being silly. Girls being wild, stubborn, and proud. Girls whose faces are smeared with dirt and lit up with joy. So simple and yet so powerful, Strong Is the New Prettycelebrates, through more than 175 memorable photographs, the strength and spirit of girls being 100% themselves.

Real beauty isn’t about being a certain size, acting a certain way, wearing the right clothes, or having your hair done (or even brushed). Real beauty is about being your authentic self and owning it. Kate T. Parker is a professional photographer who finds the real beauty in girls, capturing it for all the world to see in candid and arresting images.

A celebration, a catalog of spirit in words and smiles, an affirmation of the fact that it’s what’s inside you that counts, Strong Is the New Pretty conveys a powerful message for every girl, for every mother and father of a girl, for every coach and mentor and teacher, for everyone in the village that it takes to raise a strong and self-confident person.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Review

Although it’s been one hundred years since girls were “to be seen and not heard,” girls are still fighting to prove themselves in a society that expects less of them in so many ways. This photographic essay shows that true strength comes from kindness, joy, confidence, and determination. When the world is telling girls that in order to be pretty they must look a certain way, do certain activities, and act a certain way, it can be difficult for girls to feel like being themselves is enough.

The author spent time truly capturing the girls’ strength in so many different ways – whether it was playing sports, hanging out with friends or family, or just living life. I loved that each girl was quoted and you see her name making these girls feel much more real than any illustration or generalized photograph. With bold stares, unabashed smiles and expressions that you can’t force, these images show girls being girls in all different forms.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a book that empowers girls young and old to embrace who they are unapologetically, this is it.

Important Info

Title: Strong Is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves
Author: Kate T. Parker
Publisher: Workman Publishing
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Page Number: 256 pgs.