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.

I loved reading this book. It gave me great inspiration and it's something I want my sons to read because I think boys have a difficult time expressing emotions and also they have high expectations on how society views them. I loved reading this book.

When You're a Boy by Blake Nuto is a sweet and simple picture book that offers a refreshing take on what it means to grow up as a boy. With lyrical text and soft, engaging illustrations, it encourages young readers to embrace curiosity, kindness, and imagination—traits that deserve to be celebrated.
This thoughtful, affirming read opens the door to meaningful conversations and feels like a quiet celebration of individuality. It would make a wonderful gift for a young child or a great addition to a classroom or home library.
Many thanks to North Star Editions | Jolly Fish Press for the advance copy. When You're a Boy will be released on November 18, 2025.

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of children’s books—not just to find stories to share, but because I want to be intentional about the kind of messages I’m giving my child. My hope is to raise someone who not only loves books but also knows deep down that they don’t have to conform to outdated ideas of manhood. I want my child to feel completely free to be who they are.

When You're a Boy by Blake Nuto is a beautiful example of the kind of book that supports that vision. It’s gentle, poetic, and empowering, reminding boys that they can be sensitive, joyful, curious, expressive, and whole just as they are. It challenges old stereotypes in the most affirming and uplifting way.

The illustrations are just as meaningful as the words. They’re colorful, dreamy, and filled with emotion, bringing the message to life in a way that speaks directly to both children and adults.

This book is now firmly on my shelf of “must-reads” for raising a thoughtful, open-hearted human being. It’s the kind of story I want to return to again and again, and I’m truly grateful it exists.

A very sweet book covering the fact that boys can enjoy the softer sides of life. They can enjoy the still, they can appreciate the calm, appreciate the flowers, the rivers, the patience that life puts in front of you.

It's definitely an easy read, I'd recommend this book for 5 and under. The illustrations are whimsical. They give off the emotion of the book, which is caring, kind, free, creative. They are flowy and beautiful.

This would be a great baby shower book for someone having a boy.

The artwork is stunning and will help keep readers hooked, but some analogies might not quite hit home with the target age group. The story contrasts typical boy behaviors with thoughtful perspectives and acknowledges all the ways boys can express themselves: loud, quiet, bold, curious, active, or contemplative. Celebrates differences!

The book opens up a closed off world of emotions for boys and tells young boys everywhere that it’s okay to experience all the emotions. This would be a great read for any young child, but it is wonderful for little boys so that they can see their emotions as valid and not something to hide. I would absolutely recommend this book to teachers of young children or for parents to read to their young child.

I thought this was a truly beautiful book. In an era where toxic masculinity still seems to be the default for a lot of young men, this small but perfectly formed tale flips what it takes to be a boy, on its head.
The illustrations are stunning. I found myself still seeing them long after I had closed the book. The lack of self-consciousness that the boy has and the relationship with the male (presumably his dad) is portrayed beautifully, through the images alone.
But then the words "...the sharp sword of sorry...the brightness of happy...". so simply put and yet so powerful.
Books like this give me hope for the future.

This is a wonderful story about what it means to be a boy. The story shares the importance of being strong but also gentle and understanding and the importance of softness.

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. I support all the things it is saying that being a boy can be. However, I think it paints the strength of men in a negative light that discounts all that a boy can encompass.

A sensitive, gentle book that helps reinforce to our little boys that they never have to suppress their empathetic, kind selves to fit the society's stereotype of what it means to be a Boy.

For some context, I am a parent to 4 year old boy-girl twins. And it is a constant learning curve for me to be aware and make sure that I don't set separate standards of behaviour and emotional response for them based on their gender. When You're A Boy stepped into our bed time like a gentle breeze. The text on the page is smooth flowing and structure. First it mentions an expectation that society has of you when you are boy. This is followed by a positive reinforcement that feeling & expressing certain emotions and feelings make you human, and are unconnected to whether you are a boy or a girl. What I particularly liked was that you don't have to change text if you are reading it to a girl. His sister read this with us and I didn't have to adapt/modify my words with her. Summarising, we quite enjoyed reading this book for bedtime!

Themes/Vibe: hopeful, poetic, muted, inspiring lighthearted, sweet, reflective, slow-paced

Star Rating: 3.0/5.0

This book was just okay for me. I liked the message overall - that boys don’t have to be what society tends to demand (the hard exterior and no emotional softness), but it lacks real depth for me.

The color palette is nice and painting style is pretty, but I felt there could have been so much more in this book. More context, more detail, more heart in it all. It just fell a bit flat for me. It’s still a good book and is still needed to help children learn to be themselves despite our societal influences, but it will not be one that I will be purchasing for my therapy office to read with my clients.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read and review this eARC!

I received an electronic ARC from North Star Editions through NetGalley.
I loved the premise but some of the analogies will not work for this age level. The artwork is stunning and detailed enough to hold readers' attention. Nuto offers a look at how many ways boys can see the world and interact with it. We see the typical options balanced against quieter views. I appreciate honoring all that boys can be - noisy, quiet, bold, curious, jumping to action, reflecting on life.

I enjoyed this book, but did find the metaphors used maybe a little beyond what younger kids will understand. Definitely a good book to unpack and discuss with older kiddos, but more concrete examples of what is expected of boys might be useful as well. Also, it might just be an issues with the digital copy, but the text is occasionally almost impossible to read on the backgrounds (grey on grey). I missed part of the text my first time through because it was so hard to see.

This is a beautiful depiction of the differences between society's expectations of what it means to be a boy and how we can build our boys up to go beyond that expectation. I love that the comparisons are done using the imagery of nature and show a nurturing relationship in the process. The art is filled with movement and emotion, and the color palette is soothing. I think this is a great read to share with your kiddos to reinforce the messaging of this different perspective on what it means to be a boy.

A very suitable look at male stereotypes – the boy here has been told men should be sturdy, clashy smashy things, but he is more about silence, patience, loving, and so much more. Very decent nature artwork brings this all to vivid life, and the text is almost poetic in what is supposed to be the right way for males, and what the better way clearly is. I don't think it's a five star book – it doesn't bear much re-readability – but anyone who wishes to contradict it or demean it should give their head a wobble. Hence a strong four stars.

This was a sweet and heartwarming children's book. It was exactly what I was hoping to find. I'm always on the lookout for stories that gently guide my son away from the pressures of toxic masculinity, and this book delivered that message beautifully. With its thoughtful narrative and positive undertones, it encourages both emotional awareness and kindness.

3.5🌟

Name of the publication/blog/outlet where your review will be published/posted: Goodreads, The Storygraph
Run date for when the review will be posted/published: As of April 18, 2025
A link to your reviews:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7442737097
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2093ab52-d827-4bdb-bd1a-8528b0481c2b

Review: 📚 Ages: 5–9

When You’re a Boy is a gentle, poetic invitation for boys to see themselves as more than just the usual “tough guy” stereotypes. I really appreciated that it doesn’t try to throw out masculinity altogether—it acknowledges it. Yes, boys are often taught to be like “the roaring ocean,” but this book reminds them that they can also be like flowers (fierce ones), or like the quiet strength found in kindness, empathy, and creativity. It’s not saying “don’t be a boy,” it’s saying “there are so many ways to be a boy.”

The artwork is lovely, soft, and dreamlike—matching the tone of the text perfectly. It has that kind of calming, cozy bedtime feel.

That said, the book leans really heavily into poetic language, and sometimes that gets in the way of the analogies it’s trying to make. I imagine younger readers might miss some of the meaning unless it’s unpacked with an adult.

Still, I love the heart behind it. This book is a beautiful, important reminder that boys don’t have to squeeze themselves into a narrow box. There’s room for softness, creativity, and connection too—and that doesn’t make them any less strong.

Thank you to NetGalley, North Star Editions | Jolly Fish Press, and Blake Nuto for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I did not care for this book. I understand the author was trying to get at gender norms of "being a boy", but the analogies used are not ones that I have heard referenced to "being a boy". For example, lightening, rivers, etc. The graphics were not eye catching for the suggested age range of 4-8. The book is very creative, but it missed the mark for me. Thank you to NetGalley and North Star Editions for the advanced reader copy.