Girls are not usually associated with the game of chess, so when they figure prominently in an image, they stand out.

The first photograph is from a textbook and although textbook images are usually quite mundane, this one always jumped out at me.  I have tried to give it some thought.  Is it the bright yellow coat?  The cute way the girl has her legs curled under her?  Or is it the curious juxtaposition with the old man?  I apologize for the quality but the original image was very small.

Brown, Dolciani et al – Algebra: Structure and Method – Book 1 (1990)

It looks like they are playing in the park and so this image reminds me of the excellent film, Searching for Bobby Fischer, about a compassionate chess prodigy.  Based on the true story of Joshua Waitzkin, he got his start by playing speed chess in Washington Square Park in New York.  This image from the film shows a little girl arriving at her station for the big tournament.  It is reasonable to expect very young players to bring tokens of comfort to this often stressful venue.

Fred Waitzkin and Steven Zaillian – Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)