Franny’s Father knows that girls can do anything boys can do and raises Franny to believe that she deserves all the rights, freedoms and opportunities that he had. He supports her playing soccer and dancing ballet and teaches her about tools, and repairing bikes, but lets her pick out her own clothes.

I loved this book and think it would be a great addition to any library. It reminded me of my dad, who was always teaching me about tools, cars, and that I could do anything he could do. I also really liked that the author is a teacher herself and teaches some important lessons, from the idea that men too can be feminists,, which can be a tricky topic. It also makes the statement that a girl's relationship with her father is just as important as her bond with her mother.

Encourage girls and boys to believe in themselves through her dads actions

Franny's father is a feminist, as the title of this well-meaning picture-book maintains, and that means he encourages his daughter to believe in herself, and to pursue all of the activities, opportunities and rights afforded to boys. He supports her playing soccer, and dancing ballet. He teaches her about tools, and repairing bikes, but lets her pick out her own clothes. He's her primary care-giver, as her mother works at an important computer programming job, and is popular with her friends, both for his ghost stories, and for his tales about famous woman from history. He's everything she needs him to be, in order to grow up into a strong young woman...

A debut from both author Rhonda Leet, who also works as a teacher, and illustrator Megan Walker, Franny's Father Is a Feminist imparts some important lessons, from the idea that men too can be feminists, to the notion that a girl's relationship with her father is every bit as important as her bond with her mother. Although its didactic aim is readily apparent, the narrative here was still engaging, mostly because it focused on the loving bond between Franny and her father. Although it sometimes felt a little heavy-handed, the only truly discordant note here, that I could see, came at the end, when the "pro-kitten" feminists face off again their "anti-kitten" opponents. If Leet had kept it positive, promoting the values she felt feminism brings to the table, rather than veering into the demonization of the political other so popular (and sadly, so self-destructive) right now in activism, I would have been happier. Really? Anti-kittenism? Leaving that criticism aside, this is one I would recommend to young feminists and their families, as a book promoting healthy and positive ideas about girls and their dads. ( )