This is a set of stories set on imaginary planets were the characters encounter challenges and overcome them with creative and kind solutions. I read this with my almost five year old and he loved all the stories. They also gave us the opportunity to discuss some of the actions in the stories and how we felt about them. I did change a few words for my kiddo, as a couple of the stories discussed things a bit beyond what we’ve explored, but this was easy and didn’t change the overall concept of the story.

I have two young nephews, ages 3 and 4 (nearly 5) and they love books, so I thought I'd give this one a try. I could see myself checking this out from the library for when they come and stay over. The stories are enjoyable and sweet, not all have an obvious message, but there's also no knowing what a child's takeaway will be until you read something to them, or they read it for themselves. I don't think there are enough illustrations for the minimum listed age of 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Book Whisperer for an ARC of Stellar Stories for Boys of the Future. The author, Francesca Cavalllo, did a beautiful job coming up with modern day stories for our kiddos. What Ms. Cavallo did was create a fictional solar system where all the planets house these different stories. Each planet with its own “moral of the story”. There are adventures to be had and lessons to be learned while traveling through space and visiting each of the planets.

The stories within this book were whimsical, sweet and fun. A couple of topics may go over the head of our kiddos but not for the adults reading to them. I agree with previous review that there will be stories that become favorites but don’t miss out on the rest, make sure to give them all a read at least once. I feel that these stories, as silly as they may seem, will open up a line of communication to discuss some topics that may not have been talked about otherwise. The illustrations, by Luis San Vincente, were beautifully drawn and captured the story perfectly. They will definitely be appreciated by the younger audience, for sure!

Go grab a copy. Make it part of the bedtime routine and your kiddo will have sweet & whimsical dreams.

“Stellar Stories for Boys of the Future” is by Francesca Cavallo, the co-author of the very popular “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls” book series. I must admit that I’ve heard of that series, but never read it. I’m also going to state that I’m really not the intended audience for this book - which may seem strange as I was the parent of a male child. Let me start with the positives - the cover is attractive and I found the illustrations adorable. Twelve different fairy tale stories is a pretty good amount, so I can see parents reading these to their children before bedtime -as the stories were a nice length and varied in subject matter. I’m sure some kids would request their favorites on repeat. I also found two of the stories (one about sharks and the other about fireworks) to be sweet (sharks) and an interesting take (fireworks). But those were two stories out of a dozen … and, honestly, except for the story about the sharks (because my son was really into sharks during the suggested age range of 4-10), I cannot see him enjoying and requesting the other stories. The one about the pirates was entertaining - but I could imagine my son being a bit bored when the action ceased for a few pages. I understand the point behind the book (focus on teaching males that being vulnerable, expressing emotions is healthy, and being kind) but it didn’t always work well - I kept wondering “what’s the moral of the story” as I didn’t really think that a story included it here was *just* a story (maybe the fireworks one was just a story?). The other thing is that my son was a very concrete thinker - he preferred things to be quantifiable - and some of the stories I know would’ve raised more questions, possibly not in a direction the author thought of, though maybe discussions about more scientific things would be good? However, all of my opinion being stated, I can see many people purchasing this book and feeling good about themselves and how they’re building a better, healthier, more compassionate future for boys and any girls who read the book too. Personally, not the book for me or one I would’ve chosen to read to my son at that age. I recommend this, but with reservations. Pick up the book at your local bookseller and give it a glance through - it’s a quick read - and read other online reviews; I've the feeling this review will be an outlier.