Bowmanville’s newly published author Patricia Ferreira Lopez wants to change ideas of what beauty should look like — one charming picture book at a time. “My Crowning Glory,” published this summer, is a whimsical celebration of eyebrows that join.
“It was inspired by my daughter who was teased terribly because of hers,” Ferreira Lopez said via email.
She and her “Mexican techie husband” Alonso, have an artsy nine-year-old named Amelie, and a dwarf bunny named Pepito. A month before her birthday, Amelie was made fun of because she has eyebrows that join. Ferreira Lopez said they did everything they could think of to boost her daughter’s confidence, but nothing helped.
“That evening, she looked at every book and every doll in her room, and came to me both indignant and heartbroken saying, ‘Look Mama, look, none of them look like me.’ Not even Frida Kalho helped. Then she said something that truly gutted me, ‘I never knew Mama, I never knew I was ugly until today,’ ” remembers Ferreira Lopez. “So with that stake in my heart, I knew I had to do something.”
The question was what to do? Ferreira Lopez was uncomfortable with either getting rid of her young daughter’s joining eyebrows or ignoring the issue.
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One night, when her husband was getting Amelie ready for bed, he said to her in Spanish “Tus cejas son la corona de tus ojos” which means, “Your eyebrows are the crown of your eyes.” Inspiration struck and Ferreira Lopez spent the whole night writing a poem of celebration. By morning, she had decided to publish “My Crowning Glory” as a children’s picture book.
The book printing was funded by a preorder Kickstarter campaign in June. Many Clarington residents preordered to help make the book a reality. On Canada Day, Ferreira Lopez organized a ribbon parade throughout historic Bowmanville with dozens of little girls waving ribbon sticks to celebrate their natural beauty.
“My Crowning Glory” was published this summer; the book is a playfully illustrated poem that celebrates childhood and eyebrows that join.
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Many readers preordered copies for teachers and local schools. The book was written for 5 to 10 year-olds, however it can be used with older kids to begin conversations about challenging beauty assumptions. The book comes with digital educational resources for schools and the option to schedule virtual author visits with Ferreira Lopez.
“I have always enjoyed writing, particularly with the theme of empowering women and girls,” added Ferreira Lopez who has been a teacher for more than 20 years.
“My Crowning Glory” can be found at The Willow Branch in downtown Bowmanville, Furby Books in Port Hope and Let’s Talk Books in Cobourg. The book can be found online at ameliebluebooks.com and the ebook is available on Amazon. For more information, follow Ferreira Lopez on Facebook.
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Jennifer O’Meara is a former reporter for Metroland Media Group’s Durham Region Division.
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