The book 'Natalie Portman's Fables' has captured the hearts of many children. The book retells classic stories in a more gender-neutral way and is dedicated to Portman's son Aleph and daughter Amalia. The idea for the book came to Natalie Portman when she realized that the children's books targeted towards boys were different from those targeted toward girls.
As she read to her daughter, Portman noticed that the classic stories she was reading were predominantly male. She wanted to instill the values of caring for others and treating people equally in her daughter but didn't want to introduce the concept of obstacles faced by girls at such a young age. Therefore, she decided to retell classic stories in a way that reflected the real world by making the animal kingdom reflect it. In the three little pigs, for example, one of the pigs is male, one is female, and one is non-binary. The wolf, traditionally a male character, is female in Portman's version.
The book also introduces the concept of non-binary gender to children in a simple way. It uses different pronouns, such as "he," "she," and "they," and when the children ask questions, Portman explains that there is a whole range of ways people can be, and some people don't feel like they're a boy or a girl. She believes that this concept makes sense to kids, as they already know people who feel different ways.
Portman says that many children's books help cultivate empathy because children get to cry along with the characters' sorrows, feel joy for their victories, experience fear when they do and laugh along with them. However, when most of those characters are boys, children learn to empathize primarily with male characters. Portman believes that having more equal representation in children's books can help boys learn to consider how girls think and feel.
"The Tortoise and the Hare," "The Three Little Pigs," and "Country Mouse and City Mouse" are the three classic stories that Portman has retold in her book. She chose these stories because their core messages still resonate today, even though they are more than a century old. She made sure to include giggle-inducing moments in the book to keep children engaged, such as references to bodily functions.
Overall, Natalie Portman's Fables is a great book for children, as it introduces important concepts in a fun and engaging way. The book offers a new perspective on classic stories and encourages children to think about empathy and equality