We've all read those stereotypical fairy tales where the princess is rescued by a knight or some such. There are so many of these stories that we — meaning mostly guys like myself — often lose sight of the fact that girls and women very rarely get to be the ones doing the rescuing.

Not so with Usborne's Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls, which is exactly what its title says.

Collecting eight largely forgotten yet empowering fairy tales from around the world, these beautifully illustrated stories feature smart and adventurous heroines who don't sit idly by while things happen to them — they're the ones who make things happen:

Once known, now largely forgotten, these empowering fairy tales have been brought together to inspire a new generation of readers. Discover heroines who outwit giants, fight evil, awaken sleeping princes and, of course, live happily ever after. With a foreword by Kate Pankhurst, author of Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World.

I actually like the description on Goodreads better than the one on Amazon:

Stories include a sleeping prince rescued by a princess, sisters who fight a goblin to rescue a bear, and a young girl who outwits a giant to save her family. A collection of feminist fairytales, forgotten over history, for the modern reader. Perfect for fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, Jessie Burton’s The Restless Girls, and Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s The Way Past Winter. Featuring gorgeous illustrations in a beautiful hardback edition, this is a perfect Christmas gift.

And here's some info from the official press release about who was involved in the making of the book:

Researched by Usborne staff writer (and resident fairy tale expert), Lesley Sims, the stories are traditional fairy tales from across Northern Europe, and include a sleeping prince rescued by a princess, sisters who fight a goblin to rescue a bear, and a young girl who outwits a giant to save her family. The team tasked with rewriting these stories for children today includes – as well as Lesley – Susanna Davidson, Rob Lloyd Jones, Andy Prentice and Rosie Dickins. Each story is accompanied with beautiful artwork by illustrators Isabella Grott, Alessandra Santelli, and Maria Surducan.

This will make a lovely addition to any parents' bedtime story collection — and yes, that includes those who only have sons. Grab the $17 hardcover on Amazon.