by Paris Rosenthal (Author) Holly Hatam (Illustrator)
Celebrate the good guys in your life with Dear Boy, a #1 New York Times bestseller. A gift to share for Father's Day, graduation, birthdays, or any day you want to honor your dear boy.
The heartwarming and inspirational Dear Boy, is the follow-up to Amy Krouse Rosenthal's beloved Dear Girl. Amy's daughter, Paris, and husband, Jason, the author of My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me: A Memoir, teamed up to create this love letter.
With the same tenderness as Dear Girl, Paris and Jason's charming text and Holly Hatam's stunning illustrations will make any boy reading this book feel that he's amazing just the way he is--whether he's offering a helping hand, singing in a choir, or reaching for the stars.
. . . be kind
. . . always trust magic
. . . and pursue your dreams.
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PreS-Gr 1--This companion to Dear Girl, follows the same format of short motivational messages, this time addressing boys. The notes range from inspirational if somewhat cliched advice like "believe in yourself" and "give it your all," to moral guidance, urging the boys to "Be kind" and honest, and touching upon the importance of consent-- "Yes means yes. Anything else means no." Though the book attempts to celebrate cultural diversity and challenge stereotypical masculinity, such as suggesting that it's ok to play with trucks and dolls, or to feel sad, both the text and illustrations feature some problematic assumptions. "Make friends with girls." because "Believe it or not, girls are pretty awesome" implies that every boy must be persuaded of the value of girls. Similarly, the suggestion to "Find kids who are like you. Find kids who are unlike you," while a great sentiment, depicts the "like kids" as a white hockey team while the "unlike" ones are a diverse choir. As in the previous installment, Hatham's playful mixed media illustrations portray most of the boy addressees as black and white cartoons, perhaps unintentionally reinforcing whiteness as default blankness while relegating the diverse boys and girls of all skin and hair colors to secondary supportive roles. VERDICT With an undercurrent of fraught issues in its loving sentimentality, a likely purchase for many collections given the runaway success of its predecessor.--Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston University
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission."Raising and nurturing tiny humans, regardless of gender, is a difficult task—this stands as a reminder that love should be always present." — Kirkus Reviews