Well this was a welcome admission. The author takes her introduction to discuss the actual essence of masculinity – having done a book of empowering females in empowering feminine folk stories, for females, she could see that males needed their own equivalent, so they don't just learn the toxic kind of princely 'don't-feel-anything-just-propagate' mindset of so many classic legends. An author, based? Blimey. If this is the only one to see the bias left on the shelves by pro-girl, pro-princess volumes such as her earlier one, then shame on the rest.

The balance is only nudged in the right direction by these pages, however – the guest writer towards the end has nothing like the thousand characters that she sees as needed as a corrective here. We start with a duke's son, not too keen on the idea that he will have the pressure of being an iconic duke in the future, especially when it's not really leading to a life of justice for his dad's subjects at the moment. A pirate is in a position to give a kiss to a sleeping beauty, but finds himself unable to do so without consent. A child finds exuberance in style is the better way of hiding from bullies. An ogre decides to try and befriend the human he's been gifted as a toy/cake decoration. Another boy finds out the hard way how risky it can be to try and impress a blowhard father.

The fact a toxic male can be equated to a shark is portrayed next – and after that they're people who ruin birthday parties on an industrial scale. Here's a child who's born seemingly unable to operate the magic that belongs to every child, and a frog who wants to be a dashing saviour prince-type getting his lesson. Just in case you think I declared this book based, this is definitely on the woke side – there are two homosexual sets of parents, and one child here is the hero for wanting to leave home so that he can dress up as his sister – while two MCs are noted for ignoring gender roles in a militaristic world (for it ought to be said that all these stories are set on a unique little planet of its own).

I don't know how I took to the whole Saint-Exupery feel to this; there would need to be someone else's volume that takes these ideas, washes off the folklore aesthetic and puts them in the real world. This is an entire solar system of fake planets that due to their fakery only go so far to get rid of the prejudice the system has established. That system is one where boys face "shame" from their contemporaries and environment, where they need "empathy and love" – if you live by the rule that you can't live it if you can't see it, the latter needs to be shown males so they can return it. Otherwise the Trumpish, Tateish, twattish types sustain their position.

Rating this as an intent it's a full five stars, if not more. I know, how stupid – how male to expect more than the possible. It is clearly five stars. However my rating concerns the actual readability, joy and success of the message here, which are not perhaps as grand as hoped. I've never seen the pro-female books as shitting on males, and this deposits nothing on anybody. It just nudges boys away from the Tates and the legendary princes, towards a humanity that fiction and stereotype hasn't quite shown them in the past. As a reader it does that with four star success, but at least it's doing that.

Stellar Stories for Boys of the Future is a cute compilation of fairy tales, showcasing boys of varying worlds living their normal and fantastical lives. Great for reading as bedtime stories for young ones. The intent behind the book is a good one, but to kids, these will just be fun stories with characters they can relate to. I really enjoyed the interplanetary theming with each story as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When a reader sets out to read through this book, they first read the introduction; a very good place to start. I believe it to be very important as it sets the tone and gives explanation to the allegorical stories. I'd say parents should be encouraged to read it as well as the stories that follow, along with their children.
This book offers a series of short stories with pointed lessons imbedded in the 'fun'. There are several planets on which differnt sorts of people or creatures feature. Each one sets up another facet of helping boys in particular but also everyone in general, take another look at the stereotyping way of seeing masculinity. Additionally, there is mention of LGBTQIA+ issues.

I would have to say I don't fully agree with all the author has had to say but everyone has their right to their own view. There was, shall we say, 'an afterward' by a Ruth Whippman giving further insight of the message, which I felt was helpful.

I'm of the opinion that many children of today will like these imaginative stories.

~ Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger ~

March 2025

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by Net Galley and the publisher.

A book of stories for children, I feel there are many girls as well as boys who will love these tales. The stories are all set on different planets where the inhabitants have either something to learn or something to teach, beautifully written and illustrated, a modern classic.
A great gift for boys of all ages, to be read alone or with others.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

This was a weird mash-up of stories, not sure I really liked them. I thought some of them were okay, but there are other books out there that boys will relate to the characters more.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

The book had cute stories. Some were above the age of an 8 year old though, plus the word hell in there, I wouldn't think that would be in a child's book considering it was used as a cuss word, page 46, and not a place. Anyway, the stories had lessons taught to children.

I appreciate an arc from Book Whisperer and NetGalley.

This book is so cute. I can see younger readers really enjoying it. It is a collection of short stories, each one a few pages long. It would be great for independent reading time at home. The illustrations that go along with it are hilarious and so well done. Who wouldn't want to read a story about an ogre? On top of the stories being entertaining, there is a little lesson to be learned from each of them.

Stellar Stories for Boys of the Future is a collection of what look like science fiction for young children. Although advertised as "A must-have gift for boys ages 4-10 who love space, adventure, and stories that expand the boundaries of their imagination!" it is none of those things..
I thought this would be a treat for my eight-year grandson who loves stories about space and his seven-year-old brother who has a great imagination, but it is actually an indigestible mess of ham-fisted moralizing with a side of raw woke.
There is no science here - space-ships fly just because the author says they do, planets turn upside down because their king builds a giant tower, and different species of sea creatures suddenly change their behavior in an unrealistic show of mutuality. Although I suspect the author was trying for whimsicality, none of these stories is funny, moving, or even clever. The barely existent plots just disappear when the suitably correct behavior change has taken place or when everybody dies! (Two characters basically kill each other by accident and become ghosts who wreck their own planet.)
Although most of the boys are kind-hearted and well-meaning, the majority are pretty clueless and need to be rescued by brave, kind, and clever sisters, benevolent female jellyfish, or enlightened and endlessly hospitable lesbian neighbors. There is a nice family with two fathers, but most of the more traditional couples are either awful or just dim-witted. There is a pair of adult pirate rivals who do a lot of running, jumping, and climbing, until the female pirate is injured and then rescued and nursed back to health by her male counterpart because he secretly loves her and wants to kiss her. I can't even begin to imagine reading or explaining that one to either of my grandsons!
Anyway, the author's heart is in the right place and I really wish she had found a more effective way to teach boys they can be sensitive, emotional, and cooperative. The illustrations are cute and deserve a better book.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Francesca Cavallo for the opportunity to read a free advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A collection of stories set on different planets. I admit, I assumed this was more space focused. Hopping from different planets makes it clear that the stories are not intertwined but I had hoped this would have a space exploration feel.

The stories are a nice length. I vetted this book for my 4 year old son, who can enjoy longer picture books. I’m not sure what age this will work for him yet - there aren’t enough illustrations for 4 and I don’t think all of the stories are appropriate for his age but maybe around 6-8? He’s my first born, so that estimate may be off.

The stories are unique and not overbearing with messaging.

Review of eBook

Twelve stories, filled with ogres, pirates, sharks, and ghosts . . . twelve stories for boys in a universe that encourages bravery, kindness, and curiosity on worlds filled with creativity, joy, and love.

The Planet of the Grand Dukes of Puffery where, ultimately, there is room for everyone.

The Planet of the Pirates where caring becomes important.

The Planet of the Enchanted Jungle where pixies offer help.

The Planet of the Ogres where kindness is shown and shared.

The Planet of Ghosts where a tall tower changes the lives of all the people.

The Blue Planet where everything is under water and the water’s inhabitants learn to work together.

The Birthday Planet where boys and girls go to celebrate their special day until the Party-Poopers ruin their special day.

The Planet of Magic Paintbrushes where painting a picture brings whatever is needed.

The Planet of Frogs where an accidently-forgotten storybook changes everything.

The Stinky Planet where families learn to accept each other.

The Planet of Rabbits where the weapons of war are altered into something unexpected.

The Planet of Junk where a man learns about love.

=========

These dozen fairy tales take readers on a journey to worlds unknown where challenges are met with courage, kindness, and creativity. They are not “preachy” but present their message within the context of the child’s actions in the story being told. The stories are fun, none are too long, and all encourage a dialogue between parents and children.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Book Whisperer and NetGalley
#StellarStoriesforBoyoftheFuture #NetGalley

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.