Episode 33 – Francesca Cavallo

This Way Up

“Kids are usually described as the citizens of the future, but instead, in my opinion, they are citizens of the present, and they should be treated as such… this is why it is important to expose children to stories that are based on what is happening around them, rather than just fantasy stories…if you treat them as citizens, from the moment they are born, with rights, according to their age. It is much easier I think, to cultivate a society of individuals who feel the responsibility that comes from citizenship.” Francesca Cavallo.

In this episode, I recorded Francesca Cavallo. Francisco is a bestselling Italian author, entrepreneur and activist. She is the co-creator of the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series. These books tell the stories of 100 great women, from Freida Kahlo to Elizabeth I to Serena Williams, illustrated by female artists from around the world. The series has sold over 4 million copies worldwide, been translated into 48 languages and sparked a global movement with more than 500,000 fans on social media.
However, the idea for the books didn’t happen overnight. We discuss all the experiences in Francesca’s life that led to creating these inspiring books – from having parents that were always supportive of her choosing her own career, to her experience working with children and understanding the importance of empowering them rather than imposing our view of the world. And most importantly, the importance of having real women as role models to young girls to break gender stereotypes.

At the time of recording this, Francesca has recently released a free e-book for children entitled ‘Dr Li and the Crown-Wearing Virus’. The short story, about the Doctor who first issued warnings about the new virus, has been a huge success around the world. We talk at length about the importance of having discussions about difficult topics with children including this pandemic and this book is a great example of how this can be done.

Spotify and iTunes link for this episode can found via the bio. I hope you enjoy this conversation, I really did!

And if you would like to download Francesca’s free e-book ‘Dr Li and the Crown-Wearing Virus’, I’ve also included the link in my bio.