Strong, Brave, Courageous Girls: Picture Book Characters for Our Daughters

You know what we love? Books with strong, brave, courageous, funny, characters.  What is even better is when they have a whole series of their own.  Remember when you were a child, first discovering a love of books? Remember when you found an author you loved and went back for more? My daughter has begun to do that. We pour over the original books, then, as her reading skills improve, we move into easy readers with these amazing characters.

Here are our favorite characters, who all just so happen to be strong, brave courageous girls. This list is not all inclusive, just the ones we’ve discovered and truly loved.

Fancy Nancy
Who she is:  Nancy loves to dress fancy, do fancy things and use fancy words. Nancy stands out in her rather plain family.
What she’s all about: Coping with emotions, expanding her vocabulary
Author: Jane O’Connor  Illustrator:  Robin Preiss Glasser

Pinkalicious
Who she is:  The princess of all things pink eats too much pink icing and turns red. Her next adventures take her exploring her imagination (Goldilicious), confronting bullies (Purplicious), confronting her own negative attitude (Silverlicious) and more.
What she’s all about: Brave and courageous, she stands up for what she loves. She uses her creativity and imagination wherever she goes.
Author: Victoria Kann, with some books co-authored by Elizabeth Ann

Madeline
Who she is:  French boarding school student keeps head mistress Miss Clavel on her toes trying to keep Madeline safe from rivers, gypsies and appendix-related medical emergencies.
What she’s about:  Fearless, daring, confronter of bullies.
Author: Ludwig Bemelmans

Angelina Ballerina
Who she is:  In the original, beautifully illustrated series, Angelina is a mouse obsessed with dancing ballet.  She copes with the ups and downs of life in Chipping Cheddar, Mouseland. She doesn’t always get the part she wants to dance and sometimes her younger sister and her little cousin Henry get a lot of attention, but Angelina always dances through.
What she’s about: Perseverance and practice; coping with disappointment in a graceful way.
Author: Katharine Holabird  Illustrator:  Helen Craig

Ladybug Girl
Who she is:  When she’s Lulu she might get scared or worried. But when she’s dressed up as Ladybug Girl, she knows she can do anything.
What she’s about: Bravery and courage.
Authors: David Soman and Jacky Davis

Charlie and Lola
Who she is: Like the television show, the books are told from the point of view of older brother Charlie, but it is really mostly about 6 year old Lola as she learns about the world around her. Sometimes she’s scared, sometimes joyful, concerned or headstrong but always learning new things.
What she’s about: Wonderful imagination combined with adventurousness and a tender and playful sibling relationship.
Author: Lauren Child

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse/Lilly’s Big Day/Chrysanthemum and more
Who They Are: Lily is superconfident, brave and unique. She idolizes her teacher, Mr. Slinger and has big plans for her future. Chrysanthemum loves her pretty name, until bullies enter the picture. Then she finds a way to realize how very beautiful and special it is.
What these girls are about: Celebrating their unique and individual qualities, managing relationships, dreaming big and making amends.
Author:  Kevin Henkes

Olivia
Who she is:  Olivia is a pig who knows what she likes. She appreciates the color red and fine art, loves to travel, hates to nap and won’t settle for being anything less than Queen.
What she’s about:  Individualism, limitless imagination, big dreams.
Author:  Ian Falconer

Did you have a favorite book character when you were a little girl? You know, before you got into chapter books? Does your daughter? If so, I’d love it if you’d share in the comments.

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