We talk to Jos Dirkx, author of new children’s book Girls Do Good: A Colourful Guide to Changing the World with Stories of Real-life Superheroes. Read about her tips to raise happy, empowered little thinkers and why creativity is so important for development
Girls Do Good was inspired by the stories of 11 girls and how they followed their world-changing dreams. They’re represented in the book as 11 real-life superheroes. It’s about raising awareness of inspiring girls and their accomplishments.
It also looks at the diverse experiences that shape our world. We want to shed an equal light on these stories – highlighting the achievements of girls from Malawi, the Netherlands, Colombia, UAE and beyond.
In Girls Do Good real-world phenomena provide the starting point for learning.
It also uses augmented reality, when images in the book come to life.
And gamified experiences where readers can engage with the book beyond reading through a downloadable app.
For instance, they can help the book’s characters like Melati and Isabel clean their beach and collect different items found in the book.
To find out more about the book, click here.
Parents, teachers and guardians can encourage their children by creating a safe space and allowing kids to explore what they feel are the right answers, without judgement.
This is also important in enabling conversations about topics that might affect them.
We can also help our kids think about what their own version of ‘good’ looks like. This should be about celebrating rather than comparing.
Being creative means you have space to explore your ideas and to grow with them. Encouraging creativity in children is vital because it allows them to push boundaries, innovate, and strive for new solutions.
The wonderful thing about creativity is that it never stops. All you have to do is trust in your own, never-ending supply.
Colouring, for example, is such an important way for children to engage with content in a new way.
It allows for focus, mindfulness, hand strength and has the therapeutic benefit of potentially reducing anxiety.
