Last April, Loryn Brantz, author, illustrator, and two-time Emmy Award-winning force of extraordinary creative talent, delivered a new feminist hero into the world through the pages of her not-just-for-kids children’s rhyming board book, Feminist Baby. Now our favorite “irrepressible bundle of sass” is back in a follow-up book that chronicles her latest adventures, Feminist Baby Finds Her Voice!… so you can bet that she and her pint-sized feminist baby friends will be heard.

Just released on May 15, Feminist Baby Finds Her Voice! mirrors the style of Loryn’s first Feminist Baby book, which we described as “simple, yet hilarious and brilliant,” with an empowering story that’s awesomely illustrated. Once again, she delivers a feminist-themed children’s story that’s equally entertaining and educational for humans ages 0 – 100+, with this latest installment centering on a major milestone in Feminist Baby’s young life. “She’s learning to talk, and in doing so, more poignantly, starting to ‘find her voice’ as a feminist,” Loryn shared when we caught up with her this week.

After the wild success of Feminist Baby, we wanted to know what inspired Loryn to continue her story. She told us, “Feminism is a HUGE subject and there’s only so much I can fit into each 12 page book! So the more books I do about her, the more information I can fit in.” But Loryn’s specific motivation for this second book was exploring the question, “What comes next for Feminist Baby, both developmentally as a baby, and as a (baby) feminist?”

Feminist Baby

It also cemented Loryn’s plans to develop the Feminist Baby character and concept into a series. “It was really important to me to make sure this book was as inclusive and diverse as possible – so get ready to meet some new baby stars!” Of her expanded cast of characters, Loryn noted, “I’m also setting the stage for the next books which will be, ‘Feminist BabIES.”

Following suit with the rave reviews her debut book received, the initial feedback on Feminist Baby Finds Her Voice! has been very positive. “I think this book is a little more direct about its purpose and people like that.”

Feminist BabyWith these back-to-back successes under her belt, we asked Loryn if she recognizes the impact she’s making through the adventures she writes and illustrates for Feminist Baby. She very humbly offered that there’s one specific type of recurring feedback she gets that confirms it for her. “Every time I’m sent a photo of a baby with the book I can see that feminism is going to be a part of their lives from the beginning and I can’t tell you how good that makes me feel!”

And while the ink is barely dry on the newly released Feminist Baby Finds Her Voice!, Loryn’s already got her “fun & fierce” character’s future plotted out. “I have a few things in mind, but I want her to learn to walk, dream big, and even have a baby brother (who’s a feminist too!)”

What else you should know about Loryn Brantz

loryn brantzLoryn Brantz is multidimensional talent… animation, illustration, design, prop and puppet building (she won 2 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Costume, Design, and Styling for “Sesame Street”), concept development, art direction and graphic design. Her client list includes HarperCollins, PBS, and Facebook, and she’s currently on staff at BuzzFeed writing and illustrating “about stuff and things.”

Loryn has authored and illustrated three children’s books: Not Just a Dot (Sky Pony Press – September 2014); Harvey the Child Mime (Hometown 520LLC – 2010), for which she earned the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for Best First Picture Book; and the “wildly fun and eye-opening” rhyming board books Feminist Baby (Disney-Hyperion – April 11, 2017) and Feminist Baby Finds Her Voice! (Disney-Hyperion – May 15, 2018).

Connect with Loryn on Facebook and on Twitter. Connect with Feminist Baby on Facebook.