I absolutely loved the message of this book. The words and descriptive use of words was well thought out. I think the only thing that brought me out of the book was going from full spread whole page pictures to thw page that had a huge white space. I can see this book being purchase and read by many moms.

"When you're a boy, you are told how to be ..."
"But I have learned..."

This book, per publisher information, is geared towards 4 - 8-year-olds. It challenges the societal expectations of what boys should be taught and lets them know that it's okay for boys to have "softer" feelings, and that they should not feel compelled to be "tough".

I applaud the intended message; however, I am concerned the complex wording of the examples puts this out of the understanding of children in the stated target group. It might be more appropriate for older boys/men.

My thanks to Jolly Fish Press for allowing me to access a DRC of the book via NetGalley. Publication is November 18, 2025. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

3.5/5⭐️

I really enjoy the message that is being portrayed in this book. It is so important for boys to know that they don’t need to be this tough outer shell of a person that society sometimes expects boys to be; A person that isn’t allowed to have emotions or feelings, or admit fault. The author’s message is SUCH an important message.

I also want to point out that the illustrator did a fantastic job. The illustrations draw you into the pages with every small detail.

Unfortunately, my concern is that the author’s message to boys will be lost amongst the large words used in the text. To adults, the message is apparent and still stands strong; but to a 4-8 year old (which this book is written for), the words used are very complicated (ie. ‘contentment’, ‘swift-sweeping’). There are also similes and alliterations used in the book that children will really struggle to grasp (ie. ‘like the cruel-clawing wilds’, ‘the falsehood of fighting’, ‘the strong shield of slowly’, and ‘the sharp sword of sorry’).

I received this book as a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

At first glance it is a beautifully illustrated book which focuses on other aspects of boyhood than “wildness” illustrated by different aspects of nature.

The premise is good, but for ages 4-8 I would think there is too little text on each page. At least the books I read for my 4.5-year old usually have a bit more and single sentence across 2 pages. On the other hand, some of the vocabulary was on the more advanced side for his age group.

Unfortunately the biggest detractor of the book is the main sentence “When you’re a boy you’re told how to be like….”. It feels like a bad translation, as if it should either be “you’re taught how to be like…” or “you’re told to be like…” (no how).

I also wish that there was more relationship between the first example and the following. I am not sure that saying that boys are told to be like the “white-roaring ocean” but he has discovered “the fierceness of flowers, the glory of colour, the beauty of dreaming”.
The imagery is beautiful, but I when reading the blurb I was hoping for some connected examples. My son, did not fully understand what ‘fierceness of flowers’ might be.
It seems like a beautiful poem which had been translated a bit strangely at times and has been illustrated to be more approachable for children.
I asked my son if it was a good book he said ‘it’s a really good book’ and asked me to read more books. BUT he did not ask me to immediately read this one again.

All in all, I had high hopes for this book, but it came in short and I don’t see us reading it again.

“But I’ve learned the sweetness of dancing, the softness of music, and the power of healing.”
I’m not a boy, but I do have brothers. My dear younger brothers are kind and have big hearts, but I realize this is unusual for lots of boys and men because they are taught from birth that they must be tough and show no emotion. Having any soft traits make you weak. But I wish more boys and men could learn the power of being soft and vulnerable.
‘When You’re a Boy’ dives into the programming that young boys face all their life. On how they are told what they should be vs what they are. What they are taught and how it conflicts with just being themselves, human. This book tells young and men the freedom that comes with just being and living without the need to restrict themselves to a rigid norm. And how there is power in being open to all your emotions and learning that maybe it isn’t so bad to be yourself and be happy.
The illustrations are beautiful. There is so much life and emotion in many of them that it feels like it would just jump off the page! Same with the text. It text moves with the images as much as the book moves me! Just plain wonderful. This is something that all boys, young and old, could learn from.

Thank you NetGallery and Jolly Fish Press for giving me a chance to review this book. All my opinions are my own and I have thoroughly enjoyed this book!

A beautiful picture book full of soft, gentle illustrations that allows and encourages young boys to be sensitive and vulnerable. It's a very quick read, but that doesn't detract from its impact; every boy should have access to a book like this one.

The illustrations support the reflective text, where being a boy is shown as multi-faceted, and that kindness takes as much strength as toughness, maybe more. This picture book would make a lovely addition to any families home library and will fit nicely in our library.

An emotional story about what boys are taught to be and what they are capable of becoming, this story will resonate with children and parents alike.

This book celebrates nurturing the tender side of boys and the strength found in embracing all of our traits.

I read this with my 5 year old. It was a great discussion on how it’s okay to be tough and strong but it’s also okay to have kindness and patience and thoughtfulness.

I also had to explain what a lot of words meant because a lot of the words were not on my son’s radar of understanding.

Thank you North Star Editions, Net Galley and Blake Nuto for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Simple, yet effective. Reading this book as a mother with small boys, I understood the significance of the contrasts being made. I'm not sure a young boy would completely understand the metaphors used, but I feel the pictures and the verse communicate the message well enough. I can see this being a book that is read repeatedly as a boy grows and matures, and getting something different out of it each time it is read.

I requested the book because the cover really appealed to me. In terms of content, the book is calm and focuses beautifully on a harmonious interplay between text and image. I think it's nice when pictures in read-aloud books don't reflect the words that are added to the text 1:1. I still think it worked out well here.

What I found a little confusing was imagining how the pages would look if they were perceived as a double page, because I wasn't able to do that with the TH Reader. I'm not sure and suspect the white pages with the text centred and an illustration opposite are intended as such or will there be picture content inserted later?

In terms of content, I found the statements of ‘and the power of healing’ and ‘the courage of patience’ quite detached. Rhythmically they fall out of the previous scheme in my opinion. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the pacing and rhythm took me out of it a bit. Especially because the opposite side of ‘the courage of patience’ is the one where they both walk over the tree trunk? That didn't fit for me in terms of whats written and showed in the art.

I really liked the pages with the birds of prey! A bit darker and great textures! However, once again I didn't find the story of the pictures to be entirely plausible in relation to what the text says. As an adult, I can already see why fighting is not desirable. The words tell the story of ‘falshoof of fighting’ ‘strong shield of slowly’ and ‘sharp sword of sorry’, but why do the two of them experience this mix of feelings? Have they lost their way? Was the child afraid? Did the adult catch the child in this emotion or did the adult apologise that they were both lost? Why did the moment of sorry occur? I would like to see more clarity in the story told in the pictures here.

The ending rounds off the story nicely and is similar to the beginning, creating a really nice framework for the whole book. Overall, I really like the pictures and the message, I would just like to see a bit more clarity in the story told in the pictures.

I found this book to be delightful. It allows boys to realize sensitivity is more than acceptable. It was inspirational and beautifully written.

The cover I like pretty much. One don't really can see that it is a book for children but it fits to that genre as well. I like the colours of the cover, everything looks in harmony and fits. Also I like mountains which is why I feel addressed.

The illustrations in the cover are great as well. I like the painting style. I only miss coloured paintings in the ebook because they would look much nicer than in black and white and in the ebook I think it doesn't cost more to show it coloured.

The format of the ebook it not really fitting that is why the illustrations or the texts are cut or shown in a strange way. That is why I cannot really say anything about the getup in the real (printed) book.

The text is nice to read and fitting. I liked it.

All in all I cannot recommend the ebook-format but I would say that you can try the printed one, or they are going to work on the ebook-getup and it will look better soon :-)

An important topic

"When You're a Boy" talks about an important topic and I like the thought behind it. The illustrations are beautiful. I enjoyed the text, however I feel like there's no explanation, which is necessary for ages 4-6. Parents, expect a lot of questions when reading.

A beautiful message with a modest yet thoughtful execution.
This book challenges the outdated idea that boys should only “be boys” in the traditional sense. Instead, it gently reminds us that boys can be gentle, tender, observant, calm, and appreciate beauty in the world around them—not just strong and wild as society often expects.
A quiet but powerful read that encourages emotional depth and self-acceptance.

This is a very sweet picture book for boys. It reinforces that it is okay for boys to be sensitive and kind. This type of messaging is especially important nowadays, as it is a great way to discourage traits of toxic masculinity often seen within our modern culture.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Before reading When You Are a Boy, I’ll admit I was skeptical. Some reviews on Goodreads suggested that the book felt reductive—implying that it asks boys to reject masculinity entirely in favor of traditionally "feminine" traits. But after actually reading it, I realized that’s not what the book does at all.

Rather than dismissing masculinity, When You Are a Boy expands it. It acknowledges the traditional messages boys receive—"Yes, when you're a boy, you are taught to be like the roaring ocean"—but then gently reminds them that they can also embody other powerful qualities: the fierceness of flowers, the beauty of healing, the strength in tenderness. It’s not about erasing masculinity; it’s about making sure boys know they don’t have to be trapped in one rigid definition of it.

And honestly? In an era where Andrew Tate, red-pill culture, and incel ideology push a warped, hyper-aggressive vision of manhood, this message is more necessary than ever. Young boys deserve to see that their worth isn’t tied solely to dominance, detachment, or strength in the narrowest sense. This book gives them that permission.

That said, if there’s one thing I’d change, it would be the length. For the price, it feels a bit too short. I also would have loved deeper explanations of why concepts like flowers, healing, or softness are just as powerful as traditional masculinity—and how kids can apply those lessons in real life. A more expanded discussion might even win over some skeptics who misinterpret the book’s intentions.

Final Thoughts: When You Are a Boy is a much-needed, beautifully written book that widens the definition of boyhood rather than restricting it. It challenges outdated norms without erasing anything—and in today’s cultural landscape, that’s a vital message. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flux for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book with my son, who is 6. I found it to be cute as a mom of a boy, but most of it went over my little one's head. I had to explain what the story was about to him. I would recommend this to parents as a reflective book as to how they may need to change the way they are raising their boys. It is a book that speaks to society's expectations of boys versus girls. How do our expectations shape the way that we speak to our boys, how we raise them, and the expectations that we put on the boys we raise?

It's a beautifully written and illustrated book about boyhood and what that can be outside of rigid, gender expectations. It's a great read for children and their parents to read together.