Channing Tatum dressed as a fairy is the best promotion for his kids book
Let’s all just spend a moment with the photo above, shall we? That is Channing Tatum, dressed as a fairy, reading a children’s book to an audience of unicorns, Barbies and a Hello Kitticorn. For his pixie ensemble, Channing chose a splatter paint apron and paired it with a sleeping princess eye mask. He sported a pink, horned dragonfly double wing set as his fairy mode of transportation and blue, polyester, leisure-dad track pants tucked in black gym socks. He completed the look with a pair of incredibly well-defined triceps and some chin scruff.
Once you rip your eyes from those arms you may ask yourself why Channing is dressed as a sprite and reading to a group of shiny ponies. Well, the reason is almost sweeter than the image: Channing has written a children’s book, The One and Only Sparkella, that arrives next May. To caption his portrait above, Channing wrote:
Guys, I don’t know about you but things got a little weird for me in quarantine. I ended up accidentally locking myself in my 7 year old daughter’s room. And I ended up finding my inner child. So this is what I created for my little girl. From what is, I guess, the little girl in me. Thanks for reading. #Sparkella
Just based on Kim Barnes’ cover illustration, I can think of several kids who would love this book. But when you find out what motivated Channing to write it, that list grows exponentially. The story is about Ella, who dressed in glitter and sparkles on her first day of school. Only once she arrived, the other children mocked her for shining so brightly. Ella is about to discard her shimmering attire when her dad convinces her to dress for herself and her own happiness. The book was, of course, inspired by being a dad to his seven-year-old daughter, Everly, to whom he dedicated the book:
To Everly, the most brilliant magical being that I have ever known. You are my greatest teacher.
My only wish is for more time in this life to play in all of the magical realms we have created. This is also for all Dads that might have a little girl … Wear whatever, dance however, and be as magical as you can. Because I promise they will return the love.
Apparently, this is the start of a Sparkella series that Channing will write. Obviously, I haven’t read the book yet, but I’m still impressed. I attempted my own children’s series and oh my stars, kids’ books are much harder to write than they look. Maybe I need to lock myself in a seven-year-old’s room to finally complete the damn thing. Even without reading it, I do love Channing’s motivation. He’s not just encouraging his daughter to embrace her individuality but getting dads to join in and sport a little sparkle of their own. I prefer this language of fathers celebrating their daughters rather than having the father’s role be as a protector or shield. Let’s build young women up, not cloister them in our own fears. Plus, I’ll bet Channing wanted to show off his fairy outfit.
In conclusion, I support Channing’s new role as children’s author. I very much support his message to his daughter and daughters everywhere. And I *super* support Channing using his naked arms to promote things.
Photo credit: Instagram
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