Heroes in all shapes and sizes: author Jodie Lancet-Grant on challenging gender stereotypes

June 27th 2024

Jodie Lancet-Grant, author of The Pirate Mums, is passionate about representing the spectrum of children's experiences and their families in school picture books. Jodie takes over our blog to talk about her latest picture book, The Legend of the Wild West Twins, which explores how young girls can smash gender stereotypes and be the hero without changing who they are.

Jodie Lancet-Grant | Author Jodie is an author and book editor from London. She is also the chair of the Children's and Young Adult category of the Polari prize, the only award in the UK to recognise LGBTQ+ writing. She wrote her first school picture book, The Pirate Mums, when she struggled to find picture books which featured families like her own. Whether she is writing adventures, mysteries, or quests, her books all have one core message: that it's absolutely fine to be a little bit different.  DISCOVER BOOKS BY JODIE LANCET-GRANT

The Legend of the Wild West Twins is a high-octane, action-packed adventure featuring two underdogs who work together to expose the town hero for the no-good cheatin’ rattlesnake he is. Set in a Wild West town populated only by children and beautifully realised by talented illustrator Katie Cottle, it’s packed with cowboy phrases and is, I hope, super-fun to read aloud. But it’s also about feminism, and what happens when the way we feel inside and want to express ourselves doesn’t match the way society at large expects us to act, especially for girls.

Unfair expectations on girls and women

In much of the world, women have more opportunities than ever before. We can scale the career ladder, run companies, run countries and follow our dreams.

But those opportunities are often far from straightforward – yes we can do those things, but, mostly, we still have to be attractive, feminine, slim, fashionable and sweetly smiling whilst we do. (Not to mention, especially for women with families, having to deal with the mental load, mum-guilt and a whole range of other double standards). I found myself thinking more and more about the insidiousness of this ‘girl boss’ culture and wanting to explore it in a picture book.

The Wild, Wild West

Whilst there is always a message at the heart of my books, it’s crucial that the story comes first. After all, humans learn through storytelling, and nobody is going to think about an idea they discover in a book if that book is boring and worthy.

I loved the idea of using the tradition of Western movies as scaffolding for my story – tried and tested tropes I could play with to explore this idea, develop fun characters and create an adventure with an unlikely ending.

Welcome to Lone Ridge! Illustrations by Katie Cottle, 2024.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes

I was inspired by my twin daughters – not because either of them is like either of the characters in the story – but to create a device whereby I could explore how society, in this case, the folk of Lone Ridge, responds to two different personality types.

In most books, the protagonist changes and learns something about themselves. And whilst in The Legend of The Wild West Twins, one twin, Buffalo Jill, does learn to tap into her bravery, her sister, Buffalo Lil, barely changes. She knows exactly who she is in all her raucous, messy, scowling glory, right from the start. However, as the events of the story unfold, it’s the townsfolk who change their minds, realising that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

Writing about gender stereotypes in inclusive childrens books

In my day job as Associate Publisher for Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird, one area into which I commission is self-development. I’ve increasingly seen proposals and books built around female people pleasing, guilt, and what to do about an ingrained desire to put everyone before yourself.

We’ve seen lots of wonderful inclusive children’s books about boys who don’t fit into gender stereotypes. Julian Is a Mermaid, Dracula Spectacular, Perfectly Norman and My Shadow Is Pink are just a few that spring to mind. But there are far fewer picture books writing about girls who don’t want to be girly, or that help parents navigate showing their daughters that they don’t have to be nice all the time, they don’t have to smile and make life palatable to others.

As opportunities for women continue to grow, perhaps its these skills that will help the leaders of tomorrow be secure in themselves, and happy in their choices.

The Legend of the Wild West Twins Buffalo Lil and Buffalo Jill look exactly the same, but they are as different as apple pie and cacti! The townspeople of Lone Ridge love Jill with her big smiles and cherry buns. But they think Lil is too big for her boots - especially when she enters the Rip Roaring Rumble against the town's hero, Hee-Yaw Jack. But when there's a hoo-ha at the Rumble, Lone Ridge needs both Lil and Jill to save the day. After all, there's more than one way to be a cowgirl... £5.91   Save 26% DISCOVER

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