Recently, one parent decided she was done seeing her child play with a homogenous set of dolls, all of which looked like no woman you would ever see walking around on the street. She removed the make-up and the overdramatic hairstyles and turned the dolls into female role models. Can you imagine if, instead of playing with dolls that didn't look anything remotely like you as a kid, you played with a doll of Maya Angelou, or Marie Curie? Well, this woman could imagine exactly that, and wanted her child to grow up with role models all around her — even in her toy box. In a self-published post on Bored Panda, Wendy Tsao explains how, through her work at Child's Own Studio, she's realized how important toys can be in a child's development. So, she decided to do something to help shape kids' childhoods, and future. She remade manufactured dolls to create a likeness to real-life role models.
I asked Tsao about what inspired this project, and she shared her thought process with, saying:
"When a child plays with an Elsa doll, there’s always an understanding that this is make-believe, which is fine, because at least it does stimulate a young person’s imagination. But, can you imagine your child playing with a young Jane Goodall, or a young astronaut, who is a real person and had real-life adventures? How do you think that would impact a child’s expectation of what they could do when they grow up? Kids love telling their parents about the adventures that their dolls have - imagine the conversations you could have about Malala or J.K. Rowling, etc. and teaching them what these women (and girl) did in real life."
I mean... I'm sold. And you will be too, after you see what she's created. Here are six real-life role model dolls, by Wendy Tsao:
Roberta Bondar
The first Canadian female astronaut.
Malala Yousafzai
A major Pakistani activist.
J.K. Rowling
The doll came out looking a bit like Hermione Granger, which I hope isn't a coincidence. I mean, that doll is clearly a Gryffindor. (And Rowling often mentions Hermione was loosely based on herself.)
Jane Goodall
A British primatologist and UN Messenger of Peace.
Waris Dirie
A Somali model, and social activist.
Frida Kahlo
A widely-renowned Mexican painter.
For more on Tsao's amazing work, check out her website.
Images: Courtesy of Wendy Tsao
