What Are Little Girls Made Of?

“What Are Little Girls Made Of?” is produced to look like an old-fashioned book of nursery rhymes with a diamond-pattern on the boards and end-paper, but once inside this book cheerfully begins upending all the stereotypes of traditional nursery rhymes. Jill patches up Jack (and their scooter!) as she’s “great in a disaster”, Miss Muffet pets the spider, Georgie Porgie is told “Don’t kiss me unless I say!” And the question: “Where are you going to my pretty maid?” Receives the brilliant answer: “Off to school of, course, she said.”

It’s described as nursery rhymes for feminist times – but, even before the arrival of “What Are Little Boys Made Of?”, (due September and eagerly awaited) breaking stereotypes is boy friendly too, as in the joyfully unconventional version of “Girls And Boys Come Out To Play”, which ends the book.