The Female Read: 'Tara Binns' by Lisa Rajan
Giving Little Girls Big Ideas
Who is Lisa Rajan?
Lisa Rajan is the author of the wonderful ‘Tara Binns’ picture books for children. Lisa was first inspired to write a children’s book series after a conversation with her then 3-year-old son: “we were talking about who was going to fix my car and I said that it might be a woman and he just laughed and said, Mummy, ladies can’t be mechanics”.
It wasn’t until years later when Lisa had a daughter that she decided to write her own books to ‘inspire her to aim high’. “I would hate for her to think there were similar implicit limits on her ambitions. So I thought, if you can’t find the books on the shelves then write it yourself. So I gave it a go!”
Lisa visits schools across the country dressed up as Tara Binns – as a pilot, engineer or doctor. “Girls, as well as boys, need to know that you can be and do anything. And if I can play a small part in helping to spark the fires of ambition at a young age, then I think that’s got to be good for society as a whole.”
Who is Tara Binns?
Each book begins with Tara Binns, a young girl, who rummages around a treasure chest in her attic. She comes across an outfit which, when worn, transports her into an adventure where she does the job associated with that costume, whether that’s a pilot, engineer or doctor. She solves problems, invents things and has brilliant ideas – discovering how resourceful, practical and kind she can be along the way.
Who should read it?
Tara Binns is aimed at children aged between 5-11, but can also be a great ‘read aloud’ story for younger children. This book is great for raising aspirations, counteracting gender stereotypes and providing strong role models for boys and girls everywhere.
Lucie Miller, aged 10, reviews Tara Binns for The Female Lead
These stories inspire girls to take on challenges in their life and each book portrays an occupation not always seen as a woman's job. I believe that all girls need a strong female role model, mine are Serena Williams and J.K Rowling. The style is fun, the illustrations are lively and drawn with care. The rhyming in the text is also really clever and makes the books enjoyable to read. The three most important messages in these books are:
Inspiration – Inspires girls to follow their dreams.
Attitude – Helping girls to be brave and face up to anything.
Ambition – Shows people that girls can do anything they want to.
I would recommend Tara Binns to girls and boys across the world.
Thank you, Lucie!
What’s next for Tara Binns?
A new 6-book mini-series will be launched by Harper Collins on the 29th January in their Collins Big Cat reading scheme. Each book explores a different STEM career through the eyes of Tara and her two friends. The books are supported by a lesson plan and provides case studies of real men and women who are in careers related to the books.
Tara Binns will be available to buy from www.tarabinns.com.
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It's funny how conversations can spark such big ideas without us even realizing it. Reading this made me think about how important it is for kids to see a variety of role models, especially in fields where they might not expect to see themselves. I recently found a site called FoxSlots while exploring different storytelling styles, and it got me thinking about how narratives can shape our perceptions and ambitions, no matter our age. It's nice to see efforts like Lisa Rajan's doing just that for young girls.
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