My project consists of a fairy-tale-style childrens’ biography of Gisela von Arnim (1827-1889), a German author and artist who composed a number of proto-feminist stories as a teenager, including Das Leben der Hochgräfin Gritta von Rattenzuhaubeiuns (1845). My story focuses on the writing of this fairytale novel and von Arnim’s co-founding of a female-focused literary circle called the Kaffeterkreis. I based my children’s book on German- and English-language research into von Arnim’s life and literary works and intentionally subverted fairy tale gender roles in my adaptation of this young author’s story. The book highlights the work of a writer and illustrator not well known outside of the scholarly community, whose creative efforts challenged historical notions of female authorship as unnatural. Geared towards students in mid-to-late elementary school, I hope my children’s book will empower young people to share their narratives through their own creative process, fostering the same sense of personal and artistic agency that von Arnim and I demonstrate by telling tales. For research and annotations to my writing and illustrations, as well as access to the full book, please visit this link.