A gentle, poetic celebration of being a boy with all the softness, color, and dreaming the world allows.
This book invites boys (and anyone reading it) to see strength not just in loudness or toughness, but in gentleness, curiosity, and imagination. The writing is lyrical and open to interpretation, and the illustrations are truly stunning. It feels more like an experience than a typical story, something to pause with, talk about, and feel.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this thoughtful book in exchange for an honest review.

Blake Nuto's picture book, "When You're a Boy," attempts to tackle significant themes surrounding gender roles, masculinity, and societal expectations through the lens of a father-son relationship. While the book certainly opens the door for valuable conversations about what it means to be one's authentic self, its approach to challenging traditional norms feels somewhat reductive and ultimately unrealistic.

The artwork in "When You're a Boy" is undeniably charming and engaging, beautifully illustrating various adventures shared between a father and son. This visual storytelling effectively draws readers into the narrative. However, the core message presents a nuanced challenge. Instead of advocating for a balanced understanding of emotions and traits in boys, the book seems to overly emphasize characteristics typically associated with femininity, potentially implying that "softer" masculinity is the only acceptable or "right" path.

While it's crucial to challenge outdated gender stereotypes that limit boys, this book falls short of encouraging them to embrace the full spectrum of their emotions and characteristics, both traditionally masculine and feminine. The outcome, as presented, feels less about fostering a well-rounded individual and more about pushing an unrealistic expectation that masculinity must inherently be gentle to be valid.

Despite these reservations, "When You're a Boy" does serve as a catalyst for important discussions. It can be a starting point for parents and educators to talk with children about the complexities of gender, emotions, and the freedom to express oneself authentically, even if the book itself doesn't quite hit the mark on providing a truly balanced perspective.

While the illustrations were beautiful, I’m not really sure what the story is trying to portray. Some bigger words that kids will not understand, and have to have explained.

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I love this look at what your supposed to be when your a boy and the more gentle, caring ways they have found to be a boy or man.

When you are a boy is a beautifully illustrated book with an intriguing concept for the storyline. However, I found the text to be disjointed and complicated for the intended audience. I did love the wordless pages that allowed for imagination and converstation between the reader and child though. If the storyline is reworked, I would be interested in adding it to my library.

Beautiful writing paired with gorgeous illustrations. I think it’s so important to teach all children, but especially boys, that they can be both strong *and* gentle, and this book captures the duality of human nature in a simple yet impactful way. Such a great read and the perfect addition to my son’s virtual bookshelf!

I loved the illustrations in this .
It was a wonderful tale about the joys of being a boy. Not something I can relate to but was such a joy to read .

This book has some very pretty pictures. I really enjoyed the illustrations. They are the best part of the book, but it's a pretty good story as well.

Fills a large hole in picture books- honest portrayal of boys. I can not wait to use this as a read aloud and introduce this to parents. The best that social emotional picture books can offer!

For the most part, I really like this book and what it stands for. I think that it is so important in today's world to knock down traditional expectations of boys and men. This book definitely does that, and so well, too! Additionally, I love how the author recognized that boys can be both strong and mighty, but also quiet and in touch with their emotions. It doesn't have to be one or the other, which is great for young readers to know.
The writing style that the author used was also very effective. This book read like a poem, and the design/organization of words and visuals allowed every aspect of the book to shine to its full potential.
Lastly, the illustrations were absolutely breathtaking! The different types of materials, colors, and brushstrokes were clear and defined, which added so much to the book as a whole. It's obvious that the illustrator knows what they're doing, does it well, and it very passionate about art. Bravo!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book. I think this book is so important because it can show little boys how to be great human beings and that they don’t have to be a certain way to be considered masculine.

When You're a Boy is an important ode to how to raise boys to be compassionate despite the original messaging of distinct gender roles where boys are not to show emotion and find beauty in the environment, kindness in people, care of animals. All readers need to perceive these words.
Thank you to the author-illustrator, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a precious and perfect example of boyhood. I love that we are getting such strong stories about the depth of true and healthy development, with equal and meaningful influences of masculinity and femininity. This metaphor will resonate with so many and can be a resource of calm for young readers.

When You're a Boy shows the ways that boys can be beautiful, can enjoy the world around them, and can purely be who they want to be, regardless of what society expects of them. I wholeheartedly believe in being proactive when it comes to dismantling societal expectations and gender norms for children at a young age and I believe this book helps to do that.

A young boy shares the stereotypes expected of him and then the alternatives he is learning as well. Illustrations are beautiful. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this short read! The poetry was sweet and I liked how it flowed through the pictures in verse. I would absolutely buy this to read to my son as it shows the reader what real strength means. The art in its own right told a story but it never felt like it overpowered the poetry. I fully enjoyed reading this and look forward to more books by this author.

Lovely images and words. I almost wish there was a bit more text/ story, but this is simply personal preference.

When you’re a boy, you are told how to be like the cruel-clawing wilds.
But I’ve learned the falsehood of fighting, the strong shield of slowly, and the sharp sword of sorry.

- When You're A Boy, 76.00%

What a book! I was crying when I read it the first time because it was so beautiful.
As a mother of a son, this is the kind of book I want to read to my son. I needed to simplify the words so my son could understand, but still, the messages were the same.
My son and I loved the illustrations so much. He liked the details, and I liked the colors and the hints of mysterious in them.

Thank you to Blake Nuto, North Star Editions | Jolly Fish Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

When You're a Boy is a hopeful, lighthearted lesson about what it means to be a boy. It teaches kids that being a boy doesn't always mean to be strong and powerful, but also sweet and caring. Personally, my kids and I really enjoyed the art style and the words really stuck with us. Suitable for primary to middle school ages. Thanks again for sending this to me, it was a joy to read!

This review is based on an ARC.

This story is timely and relevant, and necessary. My son and I had lots of conversations around this story, and it led us to a deeper understanding of what it means to be a boy in today’s world.