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Phase: Open Submission

Some Girls Have Short Hair

A fun sing-along book introducing freedom of gender expression.

Photo of Ants OnaLog
7 1

Written by

Some girls have short hair.

You can look under my hat and wonder what is there.

I washed it, I promise I showered,

Though I know it’s rare,

Some girls have short hair.


Some boys have long hair.

It started growing and now it’s glowing, so long and fair.

He might be a drummer or skilled at computer repair.

Some boys have long hair.


Some girls have braids.

Some boys have braids.

Some girls have mohawks.

Some boys have mohawks.

Some girls have short hair.

Describe the intended vision for your early childhood book manuscript in 1-2 sentences

We imagine "Some Girls Have Short Hair" as a kids' sing-along book that corresponds to the song on our CD, "You Could Draw the Album Art" (listen here: https://www.antsonalogmusic.com/music.html). In two simple verses, we use humor and repetition to present the concept that girls can have short hair, boys can have long hair, and people of all genders can express themselves freely!

Share your suggested book title

Some Girls Have Short Hair

PLEASE USE THE VERSION OF THIS QUESTION AT THE TOP OF THE SUBMISSION FORM: Share a draft of your manuscript (250 word limit, not including title).

Some girls have short hair. You can look under my hat and wonder what is there. I washed it, I promise I showered, Though I know it’s rare, Some girls have short hair. Some boys have long hair. It started growing and now it’s glowing, so long and fair. He might be a drummer or skilled at computer repair. Some boys have long hair. Some girls have braids. Some boys have braids. Some girls have mohawks. Some boys have mohawks. Some girls have short hair.

How has this book been informed by early childhood language development research and evidence? (response minimum 250 Characters)

This book supports culturally responsive teaching. As Tonia Durden's article "Culture Matters" illustrates, children need to feel that what they see at home is welcomed and celebrated at school and with peers. Even as early as pre-school, children learn to understand and express gender in many ways (clothing color, haircut, toy preference, etc.) There are many studies positing that gender is understood around age 2.5, and recent research asserts that it may even be younger (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3747736/). Songs contain the soundbytes that shape children's experience of safety and help them to form values. As music education and music therapy research demonstrates, songs are also one of the most effective ways to deliver information and pass on values. "Some Girls Have Short Hair" normalizes diversity of expression, and offers memorable and repeatable phrases that can help explain and embrace differences.

Please describe any familiarity you may have with Philadelphia and its residents? (optional question)

Ants on a Log is from Philly! We have enjoyed performing for families all over Philadelphia and surrounding areas since 2015. We have performed at the Central Library, West Philly Library, Fringe Festival, Philly Folk Festival, and more. Our musical, "Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline!" is based on Philly's fight for clean air.

How have you crafted this manuscript to resonate with and/or reflect the experiences of those living in urban contexts? (optional question)

As most kids' books show heterosexual, cisgender, two-parent homes, we think all kids deserve to hear their experiences reflected in media. Our Philadelphia community has inspired many of our songs, and our lyrics reflect the realities of an urban area where people of all genders are valued. "Some Girls Have Short Hair" is one way that we honor the LGBT/queer community, which urban life helps to support and thrive. We have seen this song directly benefit both kids and adults at our concerts. Genderqueer and non-binary audience members get the rare chance to see their story reflected in a song, along with humor and playfulness. We now want to expand on this experience by creating a book.

Location: Country

United States

Location: State or Department

Pennsylvania

Location: City

Philadelphia

Website URL (optional question)

www.AntsonaLogMusic.com

Tell us more about you / your team

In 2016, we debuted our musical, "Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline!" After the show our audience sent more than 100 postcards opposing a local oil refinery expansion. This campaign (led by Philly Thrive) was a success! Although these postcards were just one small part of a broader campaign, we were thrilled to be able to connect our audiences to the concrete steps of learning about an issue, taking collective action, and seeing real results. In 2016, we debuted our musical, "Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline!" After the show our audience sent more than 100 postcards opposing a local oil refinery expansion. This campaign (led by Philly Thrive) was a success! Although these postcards were just one small part of a broader campaign, we were thrilled to be able to connect our audiences to the concrete steps of learning about an issue, taking collective action, and seeing real results.
Ants on a Log is a duo playing music for children and other childlike people. Anya is an elementary science teacher, Julie is a music therapist, and our powers combine to make smart, socially conscious art. This year we are releasing our second album, the soundtrack to our original musical, "Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline!" The show centers around two young siblings who organize their neighbors to fight for clean air. Parents tell us they are thirsting for children’s media that reflects their values. Our goal is to deliver messages of social justice through music, art, and humor. We also strive to connect our music to local organizations fighting for social justice. We consider our work as supportive and necessary to theirs. We have enjoyed partnering with Sunrise Movement, Moms Clean Air Force, Philly Thrive, Ready for 100, and more. We value their base-building and research, and they value our use of music and humor to connect people with the issues.

Provide an example visual identity for a look and feel you might like to achieve. ( (optional question, 3-5 visuals)

This is the cover art for our 2nd album, which is the soundtrack to our original musical, "Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline!" This is the cover art for our 2nd album, which is the soundtrack to our original musical, "Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline!"

Multiple Choice - Have you been previously published (online, self-published, and print included)?

  • No

Do you have an agent?

  • No

How did you hear about the Challenge? (optional question)

  • Sugar Mountain PR

What best describes you? (optional question)

  • I am/we are creatives, writers, or artists

7 comments

Join the conversation:

Comment
Photo of Olay Tugba Deniz
Team

loved it

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Photo of Bonnie Averbuch
Team

I love the idea of this - teaching kids from a young age that people look different and that's okay. City kids especially will see so many different hairstyles on so many different types of people. I wonder if you could refine it and make it more cohesive by saying some different types of girls who have short hair (similar to boys with long hair part) instead of talking about washing the hair. Maybe find some famous women throughout history - politicians, astronauts, scientists, doctors, artists, etc - who have had short hair for inspiration.

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Photo of Dawnnbooks .
Team

The title is very catchy - it's the first thing I noticed. The content is bouncy. I look forward to the refined product. Nicely done.

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Photo of Ashanti Antonio Prescott
Team

I like the rhymes in there. Hey won't mind seeing the refined version. Keep working at it.

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Photo of Itika Gupta
Team

Hi Ants OnaLog  welcome to the Challenge Community!
Lovely to see a your story talking about such an important yet ignored idea of gender identity and expression. I'm really excited to see your manuscript evolve and refine over the next few weeks.
You can refer to our Challenge resources on the main challenge pays to get some inspiration on Early Childhood Development researches and writings.

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Photo of Ants OnaLog
Team

Thanks so much for the welcome and encouragement!

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Photo of Itika Gupta
Team

We noticed your submission is currently unpublished. Was this your intention? We'd love to have your submission included in the Challenge. You can publish it by hitting the "Publish" button at the top of your post. You can also update your post by clicking on the "Edit Contribution" on top. We're looking forward to seeing your submission in this challenge.

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