Aska – illustratör

In When Grandma Burnt Her Bra, author Samantha Tidy and illustrator Aśka depict the world as seen by a child whose own grandma, a loud and proud feminist, was part of the revolution that now benefits us all. Readers of all types will enjoy this humorous story that plays on how children hear stories and reproduce them in their minds. The narrative uses dinosaurs slowly invading the backyard (and the story itself) to convey the shift across time in the fight for women’s equality and rights — taking the story all the way back to a time when people lived in caves and stone-age attitudes dominated. This unashamedly feminist text uses humour, history, the childhood perception of age, underwear and the unexpected appearance of dinosaurs to broach a tricky subject without casting blame. The book communicates that across history, both men and women (as depicted in the illustrations) have broken down barriers that women should no longer need to face. It conveys carefully and quirkily the complex message that things were not always equal — and that they are not yet equal –—but the continued fight for equality lies with each new generation. The call to action is to carry the flame forward.W