"I'm not here because I'm a woman, but because I'm good at what I do." -- Maria Grazia Chiuri
In Memoriam:
William Moulton Marston (1893-1947)
William Moulton Marston (1893-1947)
Elizabeth Holloway Marston (1893-1993)
Olive Byrne (1904-1990)
Toshiya Fujita (1932-1997)
Kazuo Koike (1936-2019)
Carole Shelley (1939-2018)
Carole Shelley (1939-2018)
Kazuo Kamimura (1940-1986)
Eva Mottley (1953-1985)
George Pérez (1954-2022)
Whitney Houston (1963-2012)
Whitney Houston (1963-2012)
My dear readers,
This blog post is my fifth list of recommendations for women's history month. Take your time reading and remember to take note of the age rating for each project and beware of spoilers.
-A. Eleazar
Six Oz Books by L. Frank Baum; Adapted by Eric Shanower🌪️
Age Rating: All Ages
"Never be so focused on what you're looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find." -- Ann Patchett, "State of Wonder"
From 2009 to 2014, cartoonist Eric Shanower and artist Skottie Young made six special children's graphic novels published by Marvel. But this journey all began in the 19th century.
In 1900, author L. Frank Baum published his best known book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Dorothy Gale is a little girl living in the Kansan countryside with her Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and her pet dog Toto. One day, a powerful cyclone carries away the Gale family's farmhouse along with Dorothy and Toto in it.
Eventually, the house lands in Munchkin Country, the eastern part of the Land of Oz, killing the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy and Toto are welcomed by Munchkins and the Good Witch of the North who gives the little girl the dead sorceress's pair of silver shoes.
Wanting to go back home to Kansas and her guardians, Dorothy is told the only person who could help her is the Great and Powerful Wizard who rules the land. Following the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, Dorothy and Toto befriend and are accompanied by a Scarecrow who wants a brain, a Tin Woodman who wants a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who wants to be courageous.
When Dorothy and her friends meet the Wizard, however, he orders them to go to Winkie Country and kill the Wicked Witch of the West in exchange for having their wishes granted.
Kidnapped and enslaved by the Witch, Dorothy melts her with a bucket of water, and the Tin Woodman becomes the Winkies' new ruler. A return trip to the Emerald City exposes the Wizard as a normal old man who promises to take Dorothy and Toto back to Kansas by hot air balloon and grants her friends' wishes.
In a twist of fate, the balloon takes off without the little girl and her dog, prompting another round of adventures that see the Lion becoming King of the Animals and to meet Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.
In Quadling Country, Glinda reveals that Dorothy has the means to go home all along: the silver shoes which could grant their wearer's wishes. Saying goodbye to her friends, Dorothy picks up Toto, clicks her heels thrice, and goes back home to Kansas.
Published at the end of the 19th century, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a beloved children's book that has been read and loved by generations of fans and adapted many times for film and stage, most famously MGM's 1939 film version and the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz.
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| Good Witch of the North: "Then you must go the City of Emeralds. It is in the exact center of of the country and ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of. Perhaps Oz will help you." |
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is such a hit that it was followed by sequels, forming the Oz book series.
The second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz was published in 1904.
Following the Wizard's departure, the Land of Oz is now ruled by the Scarecrow who has become bored with his job. In the north, in Gillikin Country, lives a boy named Tip, who uses the Powder of Life to create Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse.
After running away from his guardian, a witch named Mombi, Tip, his friends, and the Scarecrow then escape with their lives when the Emerald City gets taken over by an all-girl army. Joining the Tin Woodman and other fantastic allies, the group travels south to the Good Witch Glinda who says that only one person could save Oz: Princess Ozma, the missing ruler of the land. Pressured by Glinda, Mombi confesses that years ago, she took the infant princess whom she transformed into a boy who is, in turn, none other than Tip.
Accepting his duty as the rightful ruler of Oz, Tip transforms back into Princess Ozma, and she and her allies defeat the all-girl army, restoring peace and order in the realm.
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| Princess Ozma: "I hope none of you will care less for me than you did before." |
The third Oz book, Ozma of Oz, was published in 1907.
While on a ship bound for Australia, a storm separates Dorothy from her Uncle Henry. When the storm passes, Dorothy and Billina the hen find themselves in the Land of Ev, and are joined by the citizens of Oz, including the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and Princess Ozma.
Reunited with her old friends and making new ones, Dorothy goes on another adventure. This time, the team from Oz travels to the Nome Kingdom to rescue the Royal Family of Ev from the Nome King, a monarch who wears a magic belt and who has a habit of turning people and animals into ornaments.
Upon saving the Royal Family of Ev and depriving the Nome King of his magic belt, Dorothy and her friends return to Oz where she is made an honorary princess before reuniting with Uncle Henry.
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| Dorothy Gale: "Oh, I'm anxious to see it once more!" |
The fourth Oz book, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, was published in 1908.
While travelling in California to meet her relatives, Dorothy, her cat Eureka, her cousin Zeb, and his horse Jim get swallowed up by an earthquake. The quartet lands in a magical underground kingdom and Dorothy is reunited with Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Normal Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, aka the former Wizard of Oz.
After encountering all sorts of strange and fantastical beings, Dorothy, the Wizard, and the others arrive in the Land of Oz. Despite not being an actual Wizard to begin with, Mr. Diggs is made the Royal Wizard of Oz because he ordered the construction of the Emerald City and ruled the people well for years.
After having fun and even participating in a trial, Dorothy and Eureka return to Kansas and Zeb and Jim to California.
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| The Wizard of Oz: "I ordered the Emerald City to be built just where the four countries cornered together, and I ruled the Land of Oz in peace for many years." |
The fifth Oz book, The Road to Oz, was published in 1909 and dedicated to Baum's first grandson.
Dorothy and Toto make new friends as they journey to the Land of Oz in time for Princess Ozma's birthday.
At the palace, Dorothy and her friends meet the denizens of the continent of Nonestica, including Santa Claus himself, who have come to Oz to give presents to Princess Ozma.
When all is said and done, Dorothy and Toto return home to Kansas.
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| Dorothy Gale: "My, what a big party Ozma is going to have!" |
The sixth Oz book, The Emerald City of Oz, was published in 1910.
The Gale family is in deep trouble. The cyclone that brought Dorothy to Oz had left the family in terrible debt. If the Gales fail to sell the farm, the creditors will seize it and leave the them homeless.
Not wanting to be separated from her family, Dorothy has her royal friend, Princess Ozma, arrange for the Gales to live in Oz permanently.
While Dorothy and the Wizard give Uncle Henry and Aunt Em a tour of Oz, the Nome King recruits allies across Nonestica to invade the fairyland.
Undeterred by the Nomes' threats, Princess Ozma and her subjects use the magic belt and the Fountain of Oblivion to defeat the would-be invaders and send them out of Oz.
To prevent the Land of Oz from being invaded again in the future, Glinda casts a spell to make the kingdom invisible to outsiders.
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| Dorothy Gale: "Well, I'd like to live here in the Land of Oz, where you've often invited me to live--but I can't, unless Uncle Henry and Aunt Em could live here, too." |
Baum originally intended to conclude the Oz series with six books. But the failure of the author's non-Oz novels prompted him to write more Oz books, two which of were published after his death.
Over 120 years on, Baum's Oz books remain beloved classics, showing readers that home isn't always the place where you come from, but rather where you belong to.
Age Rating: 7+
"For neither good nor evil can last forever; and so it follows that as evil has lasted a long time, good must now be close at hand." -- Miguel de Cervantes, "Don Quixote"
In 1995, author Gregory Maguire published an Oz-inspired adult fantasy novel titled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Eight years later, the book was adapted into a hit family-friendly Broadway musical composed by Stephen Schwartz.
Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz tells the story of Elphaba Thropp, a girl who grows up mistreated due to her green skin. When Elphaba and her sister enrol at Shiz University, she demonstrates her powers. Impressed, the headmistress makes the green-skinned girl the only student in a special sorcery course, much to the jealousy of the blonde-haired Glinda Upland.
Upon learning of her chances to become vizier to her idol, the Wizard of Oz, Elphaba does her best, even befriending Glinda. When the two girls meet the Wizard in person, however, Elphaba learns of his plot to strip Oz's Animals of their rights. Seizing a book of powerful magic spells and giving a broomstick the power of flight, Elphaba vows to stop the Wizard while Glinda remains in the Emerald City.
As time passes, two friends become powerful witches on opposite sides, one revered as Glinda the Good and the other feared as the Wicked Witch of the West.
Inspired by Baum's Oz books and MGM's 1939 film adaptation, Wicked is a hit Broadway musical that shows the audience what makes a person good or evil, and what happened before Dorothy Gale dropped in.
The original Broadway production of Wicked opened in 2003, starring Tony winners Idina Menzel (Rent) as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) as Glinda.
Twenty years on, Wicked remains one of the most popular Broadway musicals of all time.
Wicked is currently being adapted into a two-part live action musical film directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights). The cast for the upcoming film includes Cynthia Erivo (Widows, Harriet) as Elphaba, Ariana Grande (Victorious, Sam & Cat) as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton) as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Everything, Everywhere All at Once) as Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) as the Wizard of Oz.
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| It's time to try defying gravity I think I'll try defying gravity And you can't pull me down |
The first part is scheduled to premiere in 2024 and the second part in 2025.
Age Rating: All Ages
"There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures, and feeling that your presence is an addition to their comfort." -- Charlotte Bronte, "Jane Eyre"
In March 2022, Kristin Chenoweth wrote What Will I Do My With My Love Today?, a rhyming children's book illustrated by Maine Diaz.
Kristi Dawn is a little girl walking around New York City, sharing her love through acts of kindness. When Kristi adopts a dog whom she names Thunderpup, she shows that the love between family members, human and animal, is the best love of all.
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| Jump out of bed every morning and say... "What will I do with my love today?" |
Loud Mouse by Cara Mentzel and Idina Menzel🐁
Age Rating: All Ages
"To sing is an expression of your being, a being which is becoming." -- Maria Callas
In September 2022, sisters Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel wrote Loud Mouse, a children's lyrical book illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett.
Dee is a mouse who loves to sing with her unique voice. With her little sister Cara Lee's help, Dee expresses her herself loudly, showing that being who you are is the best talent of all.
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| I'm just gonna be me Who else would I be? La la la la la la la loud La la la la la la la loud |
To everyone who wants to sing along, here's the official lyric video to the Loud Mouse Song as performed by Idina herself.
Wait, there's more. Later this year, Cara Mentzel, Idina Menzel, and Jaclyn Sinquett will release the Loud Mouse sequel titled Proud Mouse. In the upcoming children's book, Cara Lee finds unique ways to express herself when everyone keeps comparing her to Dee.
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| When you have a big sister with such a LOUD talent, how can you find room to shine in your own way? |
For Broadway and Frozen fans everywhere, Loud Mouse and Proud Mouse are guaranteed to have you believing in yourselves.
Age Rating: 13+
"Conceal me what I am, and be my aid for such disguise as, haply, shall become the form of my intent." -- Viola, in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
In 1953, Osamu Tezuka, famous for creating Astro Boy and Black Jack, published Princess Knight, a classic manga series about a young woman fearlessly challenging society's gender norms.
One day in Heaven, God arranges for souls to be born on Earth. Souls given blue hearts will be born as boys, while those given red hearts will be born as girls. Trouble ensues when a mischievous angel named Tink gives a blue heart to one soul whom God also gives a red one. Outraged at Tink's mess, God sends the angel down to Earth, commanding him to bring back the two-hearted child's blue heart should it be born a girl.
Months later, the two-hearted soul is born as a girl: Princess Sapphire of Silverland. Unfortunately, the royal Doctor's lisp mistakenly declares the newborn a "Prince," putting the King and Queen in a dilemma. In Silverland, women are banned from ruling the kingdom. Should Sapphire's true sex be revealed, the crown would be passed down to the tyrannical Duke Duralumin's dimwitted son, Plastic.
To prevent Plastic from inheriting the throne, the King decides that Sapphire must pretend to be male with the Doctor teaching her "masculine" skills such as chivalry and leadership, and the Nurse secretly teaching her "feminine" skills such as sewing and dancing. As she grows up, Sapphire becomes skilled with swords and enjoys being a girl whenever she's alone or in the company of those who know her secret.
Meanwhile, Tink tries many ways to get Sapphire's blue heart and return to Heaven, but always fails. As Sapphire feels torn by her double identity, she falls for Prince Franz Charming of Goldland. To spend a few precious moments with him, Sapphire dons a dress and a blonde wig. Franz, in turn, falls for the Maiden with Flaxen Hair, unaware that she and "Prince Sapphire" are the same person.
While all this is going on, Duralumin and his henchman, Sir Nylon, plot to expose Sapphire's gender and make Plastic the King of Silverland. After an attempted assassination on Sapphire results in her father's untimely death, the villains expose her ruse on her coronation day.
Stripped of her crown and imprisoned for treason, Sapphire escapes and begins fighting the Duke for her rightful place as the ruler of Silverland. Along the way, she and Tink must deal with Duralumin's minions, a demonic witch who wants to steal and give Sapphire's red heart to her own daughter, and a pirate named Captain Blood.
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| Princess Sapphire: "Heh. Take it too easy makes taking from you easy." |
Aided by her allies, Sapphire returns to Silverland and its women rally to support her, culminating in a literal battle of the sexes. In a cruel twist of fate, Sapphire gets killed just after Plastic decides to abdicate the throne, disown his father, and pass a law that finally allows women to rule Silverland. Hope comes in the form of a healing flower from the goddess Venus, resurrecting the Princess.
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| Princess Sapphire: "Even as a woman, I'd never lose to the likes of you!" |
Before they could live happily after, Sapphire and Franz must endure more trials set against them by the love goddess.
In 1958, Tezuka published The Twin Knights, the sequel to Princess Knight.
With Silverland now a place where men and women have equal rights, Sapphire is Queen, ruling the land with her husband, King Franz.
Short into their reign, the monarchs are blessed with twin children: a boy named Daisy and a girl named Violetta. Chaos erupts when the populace splits into two groups: one demanding that the Prince be declared heir apparent and the other that the Princess should be successor.
After Franz prays to God, Tink the Angel answers the call. Because of the angel's intervention, Prince Daisy is declared heir to the throne, much to the outrage of his sister's supporters, Duke and Duchess Dahlia.
Wanting Violetta to accede to the throne, the Dahlias have Daisy kidnapped and abandoned in the woods. Instead of dying, the infant Prince gets adopted by Papi, a deer who becomes human every night to raise him.
Back in Silverland, King Franz tells his wife that their daughter must pretend to be her brother every other day to keep the real Prince's disappearance a secret from the people. Queen Sapphire reluctantly allows the ruse, yet is sad that history has repeated itself.
In the woods, Daisy grows up under the name "Ronnie." He becomes a skilled hunter and slays a terrible monster, but loses Papi who dies shortly after telling him they are not related.
At the palace, Violetta wants to be the girl she is every day, but understands why she must masquerade as Daisy.
When the Dahlias discover why the "twins" are never in the same place at the same time, they imprison the royal family and take over Silverland. Before she could meet her uncertain fate, the Princess learns sword fighting from her mother and escapes. Just like her mother before her, Violetta sets out on her own adventures, searching for Daisy to bring him back home and rescue their parents.
At the same time, Daisy arrives at the palace wanting to know his true identity, but instead becomes a pawn in the Dahlias' conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Violetta gets help from a travelling Romani group and a kind-hearted prince. Aided by her friends, the Princess returns to Silverland where she is reunited with her brother.
Together again, the twins defeat the Dahlias and rescue their parents.
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Queen Sapphire: "Be well, Violetta. Stay strong, strong! No matter what happens!" |
In 2011, Vertical Comics released the English version of the Princess Knight manga in two volumes.
In 2013, The Twin Knights was translated into English and all 52 episodes of the Princess Knight anime were released in two DVD sets.
Considered to be one of Tezuka's best works, Princess Knight is a timeless classic about fighting for your rights to be yourself in the face of adversity.
Age Rating: All Ages
"It's easier to rip somebody to shreds when you're making them laugh." -- Wanda Sykes
As an English major, among the things I learned were figures of speech, including idioms. Sixty years ago, author Peggy Parish showed what happens when idioms are taken literally.
Amelia Bedelia has just been hired as Mr. and Mrs. Rogers' housekeeper. On Amelia Bedelia's first day on the job, her employers command her to do what her list of chores says before driving off.
After making a pie for Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, Amelia Bedelia proceeds to do her chores. Going over the list, she mistakes her tasks for literal commands. Dust the furniture? Amelia Bedelia covers the furniture in dusting powder. Put the lights out? Amelia Bedelia hangs the light bulbs out on the clothesline. Dress the chicken? Amelia Bedelia sews and puts nice clothes on the chicken meant for dinner.
When Mr. and Mrs. Rogers come home from their trip, they are bewildered that their maid has made a mess of their home. Nevertheless, Amelia Bedelia wins her employers over with her delicious pie. In the end, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers decide to keep Amelia Bedelia: they just have to literally explain all the chores they'll assign her to do.
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| Amelia Bedelia: "These folks do want me to do funny things." |
Written by Peggy Parish in 1963, Amelia Bedelia is a hit among children. In the years that followed, Parish wrote eleven more Amelia Bedelia books, showing the literal-minded housekeeper misunderstanding more idioms to her employers' frustration and to her fans' delight.
When Peggy Parish died in 1988, her sad fans wished more Amelia Bedelia books. Not wanting people outside the family continuing the series, Peggy Parish's nephew, Herman Parish, succeeded her as the second and current author of Amelia Bedelia. Since 1995, Herman Parish has been writing new Amelia Bedelia books, including a prequel series set during the character's childhood years.
Sixty years on, the Amelia Bedelia books continue to be enjoyed by fans and even used by English teachers to explain idioms. While no real life person would hire someone like Amelia Bedelia to work for them, the books nonetheless show the importance of literacy and proper communication skills.
Age Rating: All Ages
"Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart." -- Washington Irving
In 2018, singer Mark Nevin teamed up with director Heather Colbert to make a stop motion animated music video for his biographical song Dolly Said No to Elvis. Nevin's song tells audiences the true story about Dolly Parton and one of her most famous songs, I Will Always Love You.
Back in 1973, Parton recorded her hit single as a parting gift to her one-time partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner. After working together for seven years, the duo went their separate ways so Parton could pursue a solo career.
What many don't know is that Parton refused to allow Elvis Presley cover I Will Always Love You. Why? Because Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker, wanted to take half of the royalties if the late King of Rock and Roll recorded the song!
When the 1992 film The Bodyguard was being made, Dolly Parton allowed a woman named Whitney Houston to cover I Will Always You.
When Whitney Houston died in 2012, a heartbroken Dolly Parton said she'll always be grateful for the late singer's cover of her country song, saying, "Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed."
Lady Snowblood by Toshiya Fujita, Based on the Manga by Kazuo Koike☂️
Age Rating: Adults Only
"Vengeance can be a road that has no ending." -- Neil Gaiman, "The Sandman: The Dream Hunters"
Snow is traditionally associated with winter, covering places in thick white blankets as temperatures drop, water freezes, and the days become shorter. The sight of a winter wonderland, combined with the sense of cold, gives snow a dichotomy: it's as beautiful as it's deadly.
In 1973, a Japanese film premiered, showing the dichotomy of snow as a stunning yet dangerous woman. Her name? Lady Snowblood.
Based on the manga written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Kazuo Kamimura, Lady Snowblood is a classic action film directed by Toshiya Fujita. Playing the protagonist is Meiko Kaji, a Japanese actress and singer who also performs the film's theme song.
In 19th century Japan lives Sayo, a woman whose life gets destroyed by four swindlers who get away with murdering her husband and son and sexually assaulting her.
Convicted of killing one of the four fraudsters, Sayo seduces several men to conceive a child whom she wants to seek vengeance on the remaining three. Months later, on a cold, snowy night in prison, Sayo gives birth to a baby girl she names Yuki - the Japanese word for snow - before dying.
Yuki grows up raised by the midwife and subjected to hellish training by a priest.
Now an adult woman, Yuki has become the assassin known as Lady Snowblood and travels around Japan to kill her mother's enemies.
Aided by a fighting of beggars and a journalist, Yuki unleashes wrath and vengeance with her umbrella-sword.
A successful classic film, Lady Snowblood is the film Meiko Kaji's fans credit for making her a household name.
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| Yuki: Even before we enter this world, we are marked by karma." |
Created fifty years ago, people can now read the English translation of the Lady Snowblood manga and watch the film adaptation on DVD and Blu-ray.
Widows by Lynda La Plante🦹🏼♀️🦹🏼♀️🦹🏻♀️🦹🏿♀️
Age Rating: 15+
When it comes to trickery,
dupery, and thievery,
it's better to have
a woman's complicity.
-- Georges Bizet, "Carmen"
Years ago, a widow got arrested for attempting to rob a bank so she could pay off her late husband's debt. The weird news report might sound like a bad joke, but it inspired British writer Lynda La Plante to create her first TV series, Widows.
Harry Rawlins (Maurice O'Connell) is a notorious thief. One day, Rawlins leads three fellow thieves in a heist that involves crashing an armoured car between two vehicles and stealing the money. However, the heist goes horribly wrong, leaving three of the thieves dead and the fourth running away.
After the funerals, the three dead robbers' widows-Dolly Rawlins (Ann Mitchell), Linda Perelli (Maureen O'Farrell), and Shirley Miller (Fiona Hendley)-meet up at a spa and decide to finish what their husbands started. Because the heist requires four thieves, Linda recruits her prostitute friend Bella O'Reilly (Eva Mottley in Series One; Debby Bishop in Series Two) as the fourth thief.
Using Harry's ledgers as a guide, the widows have secret meetings at the warehouse where Dolly's husband planned out his heists, simultaneously avoiding two greedy brothers who want the journals and a detective who believes Rawlins is still alive.
After days of practice, the widows successfully pull off the heist and escape to Brazil with the banknotes. But unbeknownst to the gang, Harry Rawlins is still alive, having faked his own death to be with his widowed mistress whose own husband is buried in Rawlins' grave. Upon learning of the theft, Harry begins following the widows in vengeance.
Running from 1983 to 1985 for a total of twelve episodes, Widows is a TV series for fans of crime and drama.
In 1995, Widows was followed a six-episode sequel series titled She's Out, also created by Lynda La Plante and again starring Ann Mitchell as Dolly Rawlins.
Having premiered on television forty years ago, Lynda La Plante's Widows is available on DVD and Blu-ray along with She's Out.
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| Dolly Rawlins: "We do it. We pull the next big one Harry lined up." |
Since making Widows, Lynda La Plante now has a successful career in writing crime novels and creating more TV series, the best known of which being Prime Suspect starring Dame Helen Mirren.
In 2002, Widows was remade into an American TV miniseries that retcons the gang as stealing a famous painting from a museum.
In 2018, Widows was adapted into a film directed by Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) and features an all-star cast that includes Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder, Fences) and Liam Neeson (Schindler's List, Love Actually) as the Rawlins, with Ann Mitchell in a cameo role. Released to critical acclaim, the film is dedicated in memory of Eva Mottley.Girls Just Want To Have Fun by Robert Hazard; Covered by Cyndi Lauper♀️
Age Rating: All Ages
"It's fun to get together and have something good to eat at least once a day. That's what human life is all about-enjoying things." -- Julia Child
In 1979, musician Robert Hazard released Girls Just Want To Have Fun, a single that would then be famously covered by Cyndi Lauper in 1983.
Famous for her hits like True Colors and Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper's cover of Hazard's single transformed it into a woman-empowering ballad that remains popular to this day.
The Nanny by Fran Drescher🗽
Age Rating: 13+
"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck." -- Dalai Lama
In 1993, a nanny changed a family's life... with hilarious results. No, she's not Mary Poppins, but a lady in red named Fran.
Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) is a Jewish-American bridal-shop employee from Flushing, Queens, New York. When she's not working, Fran would be spending time with her gluttonous mother Sylvia (Reneé Taylor), elderly Grandma Yetta (Ann Morgan Guibert), and best friend Val (Rachel Chagall).
After Fran's unfaithful boyfriend and boss breaks up with and fires her, she goes to sell cosmetics at the home of widowed Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy). Instead of buying Fran's wares, Mr. Sheffield hires her as the nanny of his three children: Maggie (Nicholle Tom), Brighton (Benjamin Salisbury), and Grace (Madeline Zima). Entering this unexpected role, Fran becomes friends with the Sheffields, occasionally getting them and herself into mishaps, and witnessing the fights between Niles the family butler (Daniel Davis) and Mr. Sheffield's business partner C. C. Babcock (Lauren Lane).
Created by actress and singer Fran Drescher, The Nanny is a 1990s American sitcom inspired by the comedian's life and is one of the best known, if not funniest, comedy TV series from the decade.
Featuring six seasons' worth of oy joy and laughter, a cute dog named Chester, celebrity guest stars, a Christmas cartoon special, romance, and a catchy theme song, The Nanny is a TV classic that shows one doesn't have to be Jewish nor Christian to have a good time with family and friends.
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| She's the lady in red when everybody else is wearing tan. The flashy girl from Flushing, the Nanny named Fran. -- The Nanny Theme Song |
Orphan Black by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett🦢🧬
Age Rating: 17
"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ten years ago, Graeme Manson and John Fawcett created Orphan Black, a Canadian Sci-Fi-thriller TV series starring Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany in multiple roles
One night in Canada, a British con artist named Sarah Manning has broken up with her abusive boyfriend and returned to her childhood hometown to make amends with her daughter, Kira (Skyler Wexler). On the other hand, Siobhan Sadler (Maria Doyle Kennedy), Sarah's estranged Irish foster mother and Kira's guardian, doesn't think Sarah's responsible enough. At the train station, Sarah witnesses the suicide of Beth Childs, a Canadian detective who looks exactly like her.
Stealing Beth's identity, Sarah and her artist foster brother, Felix Dawkins (Jordan Gavaris), meet more lookalikes: uptight soccer mom Alison Hendrix, gay university student Cosima Niehaus, fanatical assassin Helena, and the spoiled Rachel Duncan. Sarah then learns that she, Beth, and the other women are clones: genetically identical humans living around the world and living individual lives while being monitored by the scientists who created them.
When she was alive, Beth founded Clone Club to unite her sisters.
But with Beth gone, Clone Club tries to get answers while recruiting new and unexpected allies, including Beth's partner Det. Art Bell (Kevin Hanchard), Cosima's girlfriend Delphine Cormier (Évelyne Brochu) and classmate Scott Smith (Josh Vokey), Alison's husband Donnie (Kristian Bruun), and Sarah's own family.
As she does her part, Sarah helps her new family fight for their freedom and discover the very reason for the clones' existence. But in a world of clones, mad scientists, and brainwashing cults, facts are stranger than fiction.
Running for five seasons, Orphan Black is a critically acclaimed TV series with a big fanbase and plot twists as viewers are shown what happens when science goes too far.
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| "Just one. I'm a few. No family, too. Who am I?" |
Brave by Sara Bareilles🦁
Age Rating: All Ages
"The secrets of making dreams come true summarized in four Cs: Curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable." -- Walt Disney
In 2013, actress and singer Sara Bareilles released her The Blessed Unrest album, which contains her hit single Brave.
In the song and music video, Sara encourages audiences to face their fears head on to express themselves fully.
Flying Sails by The Gothard Sisters🎻
Age Rating: All Ages
"Love is like the sea. It's a moving thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from the shore it meets, and it's different with every shore." -- Zora Neale Hurston, "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
Since 2006, the Gothard Sisters - Greta, Willow, and, Solana - have been performing Celtic music that's guaranteed to make imagine audiences imagine that they've been transported into the world of Irish myth and folklore.
In 2013, the musical trio released the album Compass which contains one of their catchy and unique tracks, Flying Sails.
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi♀️
Age Rating: 13+
"Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat." – Ralph Ellison, "Invisible Man"
In 2000 and 2004, French-Iranian cartoonist Marjane Satrapi published the two books making up Persepolis, her groundbreaking autobiographical graphic novel.
Marjane Satrapi lives in Iran with her father Ebi, her mother Taji, and her maternal grandmother.
All throughout Iran, protestors are demanding the Shah's resignation. In the days leading to the end of the Pahlavi dynasty, political prisoners are freed to be reunited with their loved ones, including friends of the Satrapis'.
As a child, Marjane learns that life isn't easy as she learns of the revolution of which her parents are active members, and listens to her grandmother's stories about her late husband - a Kadjar prince whose family the Shah's replaced. One evening, Marjane meets her paternal uncle Anoosh who tells her stories of his life in exile for opposing the Shah.
When the Shah finally abdicates, the Iranians celebrate in jubilation. Sadly, life in Iran changes for the worse when a fundamentalist regime takes over, vilifying Western celebrities and depriving Iranians of their own human rights. The most affected of all are the Iranian women, banned from mingling with men outside their families, partying, consuming alcohol, and forced to wear veils in public.
Those the new government deems a threat to its power are either forced to immigrate to foreign countries or get killed, such is the tragic fate of Marjane's beloved Uncle Anoosh.
As she becomes a teenager, Marjane, her family, and their friends rebel against the regime by secretly having parties in loved ones' homes and even buying Western products on the black market. For the Satrapis and their allies, the secret acts of rebellion are a reprieve from the wars the Iranian regime engages with neighbouring states and a chance to mourn lost loved ones.
When Marjane accuses her teacher of lying, her parents send her to Austria for her own safety.
In Austria, Marjane boards in a Catholic convent and makes friends in her new school, enjoying the freedoms Iran had been stripped of. On the other hand, Marjane's subjected to discrimination due to her sex and race. As she becomes an adult, Marjane moves to and lives in various Austrian addresses while keeping in touch with her family back in Iran.
After Marjane has her heart broken by a man she loves and survives homelessness and bronchitis, she returns to Iran.
Despite being reunited with her loved ones, Marjane sees that life in Iran has remained repressive. Feeling alone and isolated, Marjane seeks psychological treatment and survives a failed suicide. Upon going through her ordeals, Marjane decides to remake herself, spending as much time as possible with her loved ones, enrolling in a local university to pursue an art degree, engaging in political discussions, and still rebelling against the Iranian regime.
At the age of 21, Marjane marries her first husband Reza to avoid the punishment meted out to women caught in the companies of men to whom they aren't related. Try as they might to make their marriage work, Marjane and Reza become estranged and eventually divorce.
When Marjane gets accepted into a French art graduate school, she pays her respects to her grandfather and Uncle Anoosh for the sacrifices they had made before she leaves. As they part ways, Marjane's family makes her promise to always be true to herself and to never return to Iran for her own good.
Marjane moves to France, vowing to keep her promises and telling readers that freedom has a price.
A best-selling and timely comics series and the basis for a 2007 Oscar-nominated animated film which Satrapi also directed, Persepolis reminds readers of the never-ending fight for freedom not just in Iran, but around the world.
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| Marjane Satrapi: "Freedom had a price." |
Age Rating: 13+
"Art is not something you choose to do. It's something that chooses you." -- Brad Mirman
When author and artist Catherine Willett moved to New York, she joined a tarot card reading. There, she learned about Pamela Colman Smith, an artist known for illustrating the Rider-Waite tarot deck, also referred to as the Rider-Waite-Smith or RWS deck in honour of the talented woman.
Intrigued by Smith's artwork and the tarot reading, Willett recalled the artist's name years later while looking for a research topic. Willett then set about writing and illustrating The Queen of Wands, a biography about Pamela Colman Smith.
As the only child of an American father and a mother of Jamaican descent, Pamela "Pixie" Colman Smith grows up appreciating the arts. Having lived in England, New York, and Jamaica, Pamela gains inspiration from her dearest friends, which include stage actors and famous authors. In a time unfriendly to fearless women like her, Pamela is a fighter, expressing her opinions in her unique artwork.
In 1909, Arthur E. Waite of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn commissions Pamela to illustrate a new version of the tarot deck. In only six months, Pamela illustrates all 78 cards in the world's most famous tarot deck, yet sadly leaves this world discredited and unpaid for her work.
Despite little information available about the artist, people should read The Queen of Wands to discover how and why Pamela Colman Smith will be forever associated with art, tarot, women's rights, and hope.
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| Pamela Colman Smith: "When I take a brush in hand and the music begins, it is like unlocking the door to a beautiful country... with plains, mountains, and the billowing sea." |
Age Rating: 17+
"You could make a case that along with the technological revolution, the most provocative change in the course of human history is that we're finally in it. Women are in the world, and we will not be bullied." -- Meryl Streep
In 1941, Professor William Marston made history when he created the DC Comics superhero Wonder Woman. Considered a feminist icon and one of DC's most popular characters, Wonder Woman has been a muse to fans, comics writers, and artists alike.
In 1941, Professor William Marston made history when he created the DC Comics superhero Wonder Woman. Considered a feminist icon and one of DC's most popular characters, Wonder Woman has been a muse to fans, comics writers, and artists alike.
In 2021, in celebration of Wonder Woman's 80th anniversary, Kelly Sue DeConnick wrote Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, a three-part epic graphic novel saga about the history of the superhero's people.
Book One was illustrated by Eisner winner Phil Jimenez and released in November 2021.
Located in Tartarus, the section of Hades where the damned are eternally punished for their sins, is the Well of the Lost, a place of eternal rest for all women killed by abusive men. On Mount Olympus, home of the Greek Gods, a rebellion is brewing.
Seven Goddesses - Hestia, Artemis, Demeter, Hecate, Aphrodite, Athena, and Queen Hera - demand that all mortal men be punished for repressing women. They are, however, turned down by Zeus, the womanising King of the Gods and Hera's estranged husband.
Refusing to see justice denied to women, the Goddesses, except Hera, regroup at the Well of the Lost, each secretly creating a tribe of five warrior women. Reincarnated from the souls of murdered women, the thirty Amazons travel the ancient world, rescuing women from slavery and killing their male captors in the name of justice.
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| The Number Thirty |
Meanwhile, a midwife commands her widowed assistant, Hippolyta, to abandon a rejected baby girl. After sending the infant down a river to her certain death, Hippolyta changes her mind and races against time and nature to rescue her. In the dead of winter, Hippolyta gets captured by brigands and saved by the Amazons.
Back on Mount Olympus, Hera refuses to join the Mother Goddesses' cause, yet transforms the abandoned child's shade into a bird to spy on Hippolyta as part of her plan. Hippolyta, herself awed by her saviours, sets out on a new quest: to join the Amazons.
Book Two was illustrated by Gene Ha and released in April 2022.
Book Two was illustrated by Gene Ha and released in April 2022.
One and a half years have passed since Hippolyta first met the Amazons. Refusing to quit, Hippolyta strikes a bargain with the the goddess Artemis in exchange for the warrior women's current whereabouts. Upon witnessing the Amazons rescue more slaves, Hippolyta declares her wish to join them.
After some consideration, the Queens of the Six Tribes welcome Hippolyta into their family. The former midwife's assistant then becomes Queen of her own tribe which consists of freed women and devoted to worshipping all six Mother Goddesses.
To keep their own existence a secret from the male Gods, especially Zeus, all seven Amazon tribes hide and sleep by day. Only at night and under Artemis' watchful eye could they rescue, recruit, and train new sisters in their way of life.
On Mount Olympus, Hera doesn't believe that the Amazons' existence will remain a secret for long nor will women be given justice.
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| Hera foresees the injustice women are still dealing with. |
When a young foolish Amazon kills a slaver's son in Apollo's temple during the day, the Sun God shows the warrior women's existence to Zeus. As Hera sends her spy to warn the Mother Goddesses, Zeus sends an all-male army to eliminate the Amazons.
Book Three was illustrated by Nicola Scott and released in December 2022.
With the Gods and an army of men against them, and the Goddesses in trouble for creating them, the Amazons go into battle. Leading her sisters as their sole Queen is Hippolyta, who has merged all seven tribes into one monarchy. Despite their efforts, the rebellious women are no match for the Gods and their all-male army.
Aware that she and her sisters will lose the war, Hippolyta travels to Mount Olympus and makes a deal with Zeus: the Amazons' lives in exchange for their freedom. The King of the Gods then pardons the Goddesses for creating the Amazons whom he relocates to Themyscira. On the isolated island, the Amazons shall live long lives and do as they please while under Apollo's watch. On one night every month, Artemis shall claim temporary guardianship of the warriors she had helped create.
Hippolyta feels guilty for having deprived her sisters their freedom and all women justice. In her grief, the Queen of the Amazons forms a clay baby girl whom the six Mother Goddesses and Queen Hera bring to life and bless with wonderful gifts.
Now a mother herself, Hippolyta names her daughter Diana, after the Moon Goddess,... and the rest is
ἱστορία
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| The Creation of Diana, Princess of Themyscira. |
Featuring a unique plot and gorgeous illustrations by three talented artists, Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons is guaranteed to please the feminist icon's fans old and young.
An omnibus edition containing all three Wonder Woman Historia books was released on June 6, 2023.
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| Antiope: "An Amazon is your sister. And your protector." |
Age Rating: 13+
"Where there are bees there are flowers, and wherever there are flowers there is new life and hope." -- Christy Lefteri
In times of trouble, hope is just one step ahead; we just need to open our hearts and let it in.
Back in 1972, Trina Paulus wrote and illustrated Hope for the Flowers, a very special book about being hopeful in dark times.
A caterpillar named Stripe wants something else to do other than eat leaves. One day, he sees a caterpillar pillar, a writhing mass of caterpillars crawling all over each other to reach the top. Curious, Stripe joins in the fray and meets another caterpillar named Yellow.
For a while, Stripe and Yellow leave the pillar and become good friends. However, Stripe leaves Yellow to rejoin the caterpillar pillar. Yellow is devastated until she sees another caterpillar spinning a chrysalis and knows what to do get Stripe back.
Upon seeing Yellow in her new form, Stripe gets the message and leaves the pillar to spin his own chrysalis.
Now as two butterflies, Stripe and Yellow continue the cycle of life and fly off to pollinate the flowers.
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| Grey-Haired Caterpillar: "Without butterflies the world would soon have few flowers." |
New Animal Books by Liz Climo🐖🐢🦘🐨🦙🦊🦌🐘🦔🐈⬛️🐼🐊🦉
Age Rating: All Ages
"Love is the only thing that we can carry with us when we go, and it makes the end so easy." -- Louisa May Alcott
Last year, author and artist Liz Climo published two new special books featuring her unique animal characters.
In You're Loved, animal parents and babies of all shapes and sizes show the strong, unbreakable bond between families regardless of the inevitable passage of time.
Perfect for fans of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever.
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| You're loved... and always will be. |
In I'm So Happy You're Here: A Little Book About Why You're Great, various species of animals show how love will always shine even in our darkest moments.
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| I'm so happy you're here. That you've picked up this book. What, don't believe me? Please, have a look! |
Age Rating: All Ages
"If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually... is all around." -- Richard Curtis, "Love Actually"
Life's full of surprises and the best way to prepare for them is to let love lead the way.
To bring her first book to life, author Kristin Blomberg teamed up with artist Saoirse Lou to offer readers a timely message.
In Loving the YOU That You Are, a person promises to accept their child for who they are as people with different skin colours, lifestyles, and capabilities show that unconditional love is what families are made of.
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| My dear little child, how I love what I see. Yet I can't help but wonder just who you will be. |
Holy Holocaust by Noa Berman-Herzberg and Osi Wald👩🏼👩🏿
Age Rating: 16+
"If you really think about it, if we begin to teach history exactly the way that it happened -- good, bad, ugly, no matter what -- I believe that we're going to find that we are closer, more connected than we are apart." -- Ruby Bridges
People say that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. If that's the case, then is the past a valid reason to cut ties?
In 2021, two Israelis named Noa Berman-Herzberg and Osi Wald directed an autobiographical animated short film titled Holy Holocaust. Narrating the film herself, Berman-Herzberg tells viewers the true story of how the past affected her friendship with German author Jennifer Teege.
In 1991, Noa and Jenny meet in a drawing class in Paris.
Even though Noa is a White Israeli and Jenny is a Black German, the two women become friends. For 22 years, the two keep in touch and visit each other whenever they can... until Jenny stops answering Noa's calls.
Knowing something's wrong, Noa demands an explanation from her friend. Jenny, who is adopted, reveals that her biological maternal grandfather was Amon Göth, the Nazi commander from the film Schindler's List. Stunned by the revelation, Noa tries make Jenny see that their friendship isn't defined by WWII.
To cope with her horrific discovery, Jenny publishes a memoir titled My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family's Nazi Past.
Noa, meanwhile, learns her that her Jewish grandmother's whole family was killed in the Holocaust.
Jenny becomes a best selling author, her memoir translated from her native German to many foreign languages, including Hebrew and English. Noa, on the other hand, accuses Jenny of twisting their friendship for her book's plot.
When Jenny insists that people have roles to play in life, Noa reminds her that each person still has a choice.
A timely film, Holy Holocaust shows why it's important for present and future generations to learn about history and the consequences of repeating past mistakes.
Age Rating: 17+
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." -- A.A. Milne
The year is 1998. Three estranged sisters - Rose, Poppy, and Violet - reunite to solve a mystery: who killed their mother, Jasmine Hawthorn, at Les Trois Fleurs?
Having not been together for years, the Hawthorn sisters couldn't be even more dysfunctional if it weren't for their family's secret legacy.
Decades ago, in France during WWII, a brave woman named Dahlia stole a Nazi soldier's gun and she and her husband, Leif, fought for La Résistance. After the war, the heroic couple's two children, Jasmine and Chrys, travelled around the world, assassinating Nazis. But after her brother got killed, Jasmine moved to New Jersey where she had her three daughters and trained them in the arts of espionage.
For a while, the Hawthorns were a family... until the day Poppy and Violet suddenly moved out.
Violet, skilled with knives, moved abroad to pursue a modelling career.
Poppy, whose punches would've made her a professional boxer, moved to California to live a "normal" life with her husband, Derek Winterberry, and their children, Holly and Aster.
Rose, an expert markswoman, stayed with her mother, looking after and helping her run the family-owned business, Les Trois Fleurs.
Now Jasmine's dead, her own flower shop a crime scene.
To solve the case, "Wrecker Rose, Punchy Poppy, and Violent Violet" must stay one step ahead of the police without killing each other in the process. But will fists, knives, and evidence be enough for the sisters to bust the perpetrator? Or will solving Jasmine Hawthorn's murder cause wounds that'll never heal?
Written by Erica Schultz and illustrated by Carola Borelli and Gab Contreras, The Deadliest Bouquet is a mystery graphic novel for fans of Dame Agatha Christie and Charlie's Angels.
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| Jasmine Hawthorn: "Never again!" |
Alice On the Run: One Child's Journey Through the Rwandan Civil War by Gaspard Talmasse✈️
Age Rating: 13+
Age Rating: 13+
"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now." -- Martin Luther King Jr.
In 2021, Belgian artist Gaspard Talmasse wrote and illustrated Alice On the Run, a graphic novel that tells the true story of his partner Alice Cyuzuzo's experiences during and after the Rwandan civil war and genocide.
In 1994, Hutu militiamen massacring the Tutsi people force five-year-old Alice and her family to emigrate from their native Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Displaced at such a young age, Alice grows up marching from one camp to another, sleeping in jungles, surviving raids, hunger, and illness, becoming separated from her family, and keeping her little sister Adeline safe.
Despite her ordeals, Alice keeps moving on, hoping to see her family again. It won't be until almost a decade after the genocide started that Alice and Adeline immigrate to Belgium where they are reunited with their parents and siblings.
At the end of this very special graphic novel is an interview with Alice's mother, providing additional information on the real events the book is based on.
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| Alice's Mother: "I think that sometimes miracles happen right in the midst of dramatic events." |
Until now, millions of people are still being forced out of the countries they've called home for generations. For as long as there are refugees, we must keep our borders and hearts open to those who need human rights.
Age Rating: All Ages
"Religion is like a pair of shoes. Find one that fits for you, but don't make me wear your shoes." -- George Carlin
For centuries, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have been three of Earth's five major religions. Jews, Christians, and Muslims have different teachings and practices, yet all of them are rooted in their belief in the one true God.
In September 2022, Jewish author Kerry Olitzky, Muslim author Inas Younis, and Christian artist Maryana Kachmar teamed up to make a children's book about the three Abrahamic religions.
A Muslim girl named Leila lives in New York with her mother and is best friends with a Christian girl named Amy.
One day, Leila goes on vacation to her birthplace of Jerusalem, promising to pray for Amy's sick father at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. However, Leila loses the directions to the church, becoming lost in the Holy Land. Thankfully, two nice boys guide Leila to the church and she prays for Amy's father.
As Leila leaves, she meets two more lost girls: Rachel, a Jew searching for the Al-Aqsa Mosque to donate money for her sick Muslim neighbour, and Asma, a fellow Muslim hoping to place her Jewish friend's prayer in the Western Wall.
By helping each other reach their respective destinations, the three young strangers pray for their loved ones and become friends, and Leila herself discovers why Jerusalem is a special place for all people.
By helping each other reach their respective destinations, the three young strangers pray for their loved ones and become friends, and Leila herself discovers why Jerusalem is a special place for all people.
Created by an interfaith team, Strangers in Jerusalem is a very special children's book that shows that freedom of religion means nothing when we don't love our neighbours.
Two Very Special Children's Books by Kirby and Larry C. Fields III👦🏿👧🏿Age Rating: All Ages
"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." -- Maya Angelou
"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." -- Maya Angelou
Kirby is a British actress famous for her roles in various films and TV series, including Why Women Kill and The Sandman.
In November 2022, Kirby, with fellow actor Larry C. Fields III, teamed up with artist Paul Davey to make two very special children's books.
In Little Black Boy: Oh, the Things You Will Do!, a Black boy steps out of the comfort zone of the swimming pool to fulfill his dream of becoming a marine biologist and share with everyone his knowledge of aquatic wildlife and the importance of environmental conservation.
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| Little Black Boy, Oh the things you will do. Has anyone mentioned the world's open to you? |
In Little Black Girl: Oh, the Things You Can Do!, a Black girl is determined not to let anything stop her as she prepares her robot for the school fair.
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| You have sparks in your brain and fire in your heart. You can decide where to stop and where to start. You were born unique. None of us are the same. Your only job: Make them remember your name. |
During these uncertain times, children of all skin colours should be encouraged to believe in themselves. Only by following their dreams as they grow up could children make this planet a better place.
Tár by Todd Field🎼
Age Rating: 17+
"Men are not punished for their sins, but by them." -- Kin Hubbard
It's easy to imagine what it's like to be famous. We ordinary people watch celebrities on TV and film, we listen to their songs, we follow their social media accounts, we read their autobiographies, and buy the goods they endorse in ads.
Unfortunately, while we can see what's on people's faces, we don't always know what's happening behind the camera.
Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth) is a composer who seems to have it all: EGOT awards, a wife named Sharon (Nina Hoss, A Woman in Berlin), a daughter named Petra (Mila Bogojevic), and the position of principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
In public, Tár's a maestro, having composed music for film, stage, and television. But behind the scenes, Tár's manipulative, disrespecting her assistant Francesca (Noémie Merlant, Portrait of a Lady on Fire), and offering younger women positions in the orchestra in exchange for inappropriate favours.
Yet despite her flaws, Tár remains famous to her most loyal fans and is practicing a tricky piece for an upcoming live performance... until a scandal threatens to destroy everything she has worked hard for.
From Todd Field, the director of In the Bedroom and Little Children, comes Tár, a psychological drama that's guaranteed to warn viewers why freedom of expression doesn't mean freedom from consequences.
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| Lydia Tár: "If you want to dance the mask, you service the composer." |
Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu🧛🏻♀️
Age Rating: 17+
"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." -- J.R.R. Tolkien
In 1872, Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu published Carmilla, a Gothic novella featuring the world's first literary vampire. Published 25 years before Bram Stoker's Dracula, Carmilla is about a vampire who rearranges the eight letters spelling out her given name every time she seduces an innocent maiden whose blood she feasts on.
Over 150 years on, Carmilla remains a favourite read among horror and vampire fans, and has been adapted into and parodied in a number of films and TV series.
In February 2023, author Amy Chu and artist Soo Lee adapted and illustrated Le Fanu's masterpiece into a graphic novel.
It's 1996, year of the Fire Rat. While Chinese Americans are decorating their homes and businesses for the upcoming Lunar New Year, a social worker named Athena Lo investigates the murders of homeless queer women. Suspecting there's a serial killer on the loose, Athena follows the trail of clues to Carmilla's, a mysterious Chinatown nightclub named after Le Fanu's famous vampire. The establishment's name prompts Athena to steal a copy of Carmilla from the local library and she begins spending time with Violet, a young woman working at the club.
Ignoring her supportive grandfather's warnings about Carmilla's, Athena becomes determined to solve the murders and her relationship with Violet becomes something more... and falls into a nightmare where the real monster of the night is the one she least expects...
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| Yeh Yeh: "Take care you don't lose the ones you love." |
Published amidst ongoing discrimination against minorities and inspired by Chinese folklore, Carmilla: The First Vampire is a new retelling of a horror classic that kickstarted the vampire genre.
For more information, check out this TED-Ed video on the inspiration for vampire lore.
Better When I'm Dancin' by Meghan Trainor💃
Age Rating: All Ages
"Happiness is pretty simple: someone to love, something to do, something to look forward to." -- Rita Mae Brown
November 2022 marked what would've been the 100th birthday of Charles M. Schulz, the late creator of the Peanuts franchise. Beginning with a comic strip published back in October 1950, Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown, and the rest of the Peanuts gang have since appeared in a number of comics, films, and TV series.
In 2015, singer Meghan Trainor wrote and sang Better When I'm Dancin', a toe-tapping rhythmic single from The Peanuts Movie, guaranteed to get listeners into the groove.
Age Rating: All Ages
"The artist has to be something like a whale swimming with his mouth wide open, absorbing everything until he has what he really needs." -- Romare Bearden
"The artist has to be something like a whale swimming with his mouth wide open, absorbing everything until he has what he really needs." -- Romare Bearden
What to do you get when you mix books, ducks, statues, and Boston? You get Make Way, a biographical children's book written by Angela Burke Kunkel and illustrated by Claire Keane.
The year is 1941. Robert McCloskey writes and illustrates his famous children's book, Make Way for Ducklings.
The book introduces readers to Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, two ducks flying above Boston, Massachusetts to look for a nice place to raise their family. The ducks settle on an island in the Charles River and they have eight ducklings.
Mrs. Mallard then leads her brood around the county to reach the Boston Public Garden, prompting a kind police officer to stop traffic and make way for the ducklings.
The book becomes a hit, earning McCloskey the 1942 Caldecott Medal. Inspired by the lovely illustrations, a Jewish woman named Nancy Schön makes bronze statues of Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings. The nine statues are unveiled in the actual Boston Public Garden where they stand to this day.
Published over 80 years after Make Way for Ducklings, Make Way: The Story of Robert McCloskey, Nancy Schön, and Some Very Famous Ducklings shows readers the makings of a popular statue and the official children's book of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Age Rating: 8+
"He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness." -- Alexandre Dumas
It's a bitter truth, but death comes for all us. But just because we can't stop something that happens to everyone, everyday, and everywhere doesn't mean we can't cope with it.
Millie the deer, Florence the fox, Claire the mouse, Gabby the skunk, and Rosie the cat are best friends. Whether at school or at home, the five girls love having fun together.
Everything changes one day when Rosie dies in a car accident.
Rosie's friends are grief-stricken by her death. While her remaining friends try to move on, Millie hides her feelings and comes across a notebook abandoned at her family's laundromat.
Upon finding clues in the notebook, Millie, Florence, Claire, and Gabby go on an adventure that just might heal their broken hearts.
Written and illustrated by artists Meghan Boehman and Rachel Briner, Dear Rosie is an upcoming semiautobiographical graphic novel about loss, healing, and friendship.
Dear Rosie will be published this coming July.
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| "Cry, Heart, but never break. Let your tears of grief and sadness help begin new life." -- Glenn Ringtved, "Cry, Heart, But Never Break" |
Age Rating: All Ages
"Life is like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending." -- Jim Henson
Coming soon to a book store near you
Prepare to meet film stars, each one a beauty,
In the upcoming book titled J is for Judy!
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| "J's Julie and Judy, who couldn't do wrong in the Alps or in Oz when they burst into song." |
Disney's Frozen, Based on the Fairy Tale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen🍃🔥☃️👸🏼❄️👩🏻🦰👱🏻♂️🦌🌊🪨
Age Rating: 8+
"We do not love each other without changing each other." -- Madeleine L'Engle
In November 2013, Disney loosely adapted Hans Christian Andersen's longest fairy tale, The Snow Queen, into one of its biggest franchises ever.
In the Kingdom of Arendelle live two sisters: Princess Anna (Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars) and Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel). Anna wishes nothing more than spend time with Elsa, who wears gloves to keep secret her power to conjure ice and snow.
When the two sisters were young, Elsa accidentally knocked Anna unconscious with an icy blast. Thankfully, Grand Pabbie, the king of the trolls and adoptive grandfather of a human boy named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff, Glee) healed Anna, but at a price: he altered the princess's memories of her sister's powers. Grand Pabbie then advised the girls' parents, King Agnarr and Queen Iduna of Arendelle, to help Elsa practice controlling her powers, or fear would be her undoing. Not wanting history to repeat itself, Agnarr and Iduna kept their daughters apart and closed Arendelle's borders to keep Elsa's power a secret.
Although the monarchs meant well, their efforts resulted in their daughters growing up miserably. The two sisters became sadder when their parents died in a storm at sea.
Elsa is now the Queen of Arendelle. Everything goes fine at first, until Elsa rejects Anna's sudden engagement to a visiting prince and reveals her gift in a fit of anger. Afraid of hurting her sister again, Elsa runs away from Arendelle, unknowingly trapping her own kingdom in an eternal winter. Anna then follows shortly after, accompanied by Kristoff, his reindeer friend Sven, and Olaf (Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon), a talking snowman created by Elsa.
On the North Mountain where she has exiled herself, Elsa decides to embrace her powers, creating a new outfit and her own palace out of ice and snow.
Anna eventually finds Elsa's palace and persuades her sister to come back home, only to have her heart frozen when Elsa is dismayed at the curse she has put on Arendelle. With Anna in danger of dying, Kristoff takes her to his grandfather who says that only an act of true love can break the spell. Just when all hope seems lost, the spell gets broken when Anna sacrifices her own life for Elsa's. Thankfully, Anna gets healed and she and Elsa reconcile, bringing summer back to Arendelle and reopening its borders.
Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, featuring a musical score composed by Christophe Beck and songs by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Frozen is the second highest-grossing animated film of all time and the winner of two Academy Awards.
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| Elsa: "The cold never bothered me anyway." |
In 2018, Frozen was adapted into a hit Broadway musical, and Anna and Elsa appear as supporting characters in Ralph Breaks the Internet, again voiced by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel.
Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Disney+, Disney's Frozen is about adventure and the power of love between family members and friends .
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- Allman, J. R. (2023). J is for Judy: Classic Hollywood's Leading Ladies from A to Z. Doubleday Books for Young Readers.
- Appleyard, K. et al. (Executive Producers). (2013-2017). Orphan Black [TV series]. Bell Media; Temple Street Productions; BBC America.
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