Pamela Melon

The Face Painter's Mirror Pamela Melon

Join Ryder, Amber, and the face painter as they look into The Face Painter's Mirror. A magical journey of self discovery and imagination.




With colourful illustrations, this story explores gender stereotyping and how that can make children feel and see themselves.




Gender stereotyping




When a boy asks for a magical rainbow unicorn face painting and a girl asks for a ferocious stompy dinosaur, they are surprised to transform into what is painted on their faces when they look into the magical mirror. Their emotions are taken on a rollercoaster ride when they discover that the face painter had not listened to their requests and has decided to turn them into different creatures. She does not believe unicorns are for boys or dinosaurs are for girls.




Standing up for Yourself




The children go through these transformations and feel sad, angry, disappointed and discouraged. Readers will find out if they learn to speak up for themselves.







A Must Have in your Children's Library




This story will lead to many conversations with your child about being themselves, accepting others, being inclusive, diversity and standing up for themselves. This can lead to self acceptance and harmony with others. It can be a great way to reflect on how discriminating or stereotyping affects others. You don't need to have a big conversation about it as the story speaks for itself as well and challenges black and white thinking when it comes to gender norms and diversity.