Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

This month, we are celebrating International Women's Month with an incredible collection of books by great authors. Discover wonderful novels written by and for women, illustrated books full of humor and self-love, and readings that educate on equality and feminism.

Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society. We should indeed honor their achievements every day and every month of the year, and yet this month we are invited to be more aware than ever of the importance of gender equality. Empowering women and girls is vital to building fair, inclusive, and peaceful societies. And we all have a part to play in the push for a gender-equal world: in our actions, conversations, behaviors and mindset.

“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.”

— Beyoncé Knowles

At DropCap we aim to strengthen the voice of women - writers, illustrators, translators… With the guiding principles of empowerment in mind, we have worked on a selection of books that tackle a wide variety of issues: women’s sense of self-worth, their ability to determine their own choices, their relationship with their bodies and their right to influence social change. Here you will find unique voices and perspectives that shed new light on what it means to be a woman in the 21st century.

*L’Origine*

By Lilianne Milgrom
Published by Girl Friday Books
**World Rights Available**

As the first artist authorized by the Orsay Museum to re-create Courbet’s The Origin of the World, author Lilianne Milgrom was thrust into the painting’s intimate orbit, spending six weeks replicating every fold, crevice, and pubic hair. The experience inspired her to share her story and the painting’s riveting clandestine history with readers beyond the confines of the art world. L’Origine is an entertaining and superbly researched work of historical fiction that traces the true story of the painting’s unlikely tale of survival, replete with French revolutionaries, Turkish pashas, and nefarious Nazi captains.

*Eeny, Meeny, Miney Mole*

By Jane Yolen
Illustrated By Kathryn Brown
Published by Crocodile Books
*(imprint of Interlink Publishing)*
**World Rights Available**

Eeny, Meeny, and Miney Mole live at the bottom of a deep, dark hole. In that hole, dark is light, day is night, and summer and winter seem the same. Meeny and Miney are perfectly content to stay down in the deep, dark hole all by themselves, safe and warm. But Eeny has heard there's something wonderful Up Above. She wants to know what it is. So she goes to find it.

*Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts*

By Karen Kleiman
Illustrated By Molly McIntyre
Published by Familius
**Rights sold: Korean, Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Romanian, Chinese (Simplified), Spanish**

Over 90 percent of new mothers will have scary, intrusive thoughts about their baby and themselves. What if I drop him? What if I snap and hurt my baby? Mothering is so hard—I don't know if I really want to do this anymore. Gosh, I'm so terrible for thinking that! Yet for too many mothers, those thoughts remain secret, hidden away in a place of shame that can quickly grow into anxiety, postpartum depression, and even self-harm. But here's the good news: you CAN feel better!

*Sonju*

By Wondra Chang
Published by Madville Publishing
**World Rights Available**

Sonju comes of age in Japanese-occupied Korea, and having received a modern education, she imagines a life of equality and freedom of choice. Her ideals soon clash with the centuries-old Confucian tradition of order and conformity when her mother arranges her marriage to a man she has never met. The decisions she makes during the Korean War lead to her being disowned by her family, betrayed by her best friend, and shunned by society. Through the period of rapidly evolving political strife in her country following its liberation in 1945, Sonju’s private struggle to seek her relevance in a male-dominated society parallels the struggles of Korea on its way to becoming a force in the world.