This was a simple story about a boy taking charge of his emotions. Not going with the older generations of boys don't cry motto. I loved the illustrations in this book. But I did feel the story lacked in some areas. I wasn't a fan of the book always saying "When you're a boy you're told how to be like....". I have 2 boys and I want to guide them but also allow them to make up their own minds.

I loved the illustrations showing a parent and child, probably father and son but doesn't have to be, exploring nature and enjoying time together. The text, however, felt like a spoken word poem delivered by a grad student asked to ponder the issue of masculinity. The metaphors and word choice would make the text inaccessible to any children likely to pick up this picture book or have it read to them at story time. Yes it is great to talk to our children about being themselves instead of feeling boxed into strict gender roles, but using language far above their ability is unlikely to make an impact on concrete thinkers.

2.5/5
The story has good intentions for its audience but I do not fit anywhere in that audience personally.
I am an elementary school librarian that reads many books and recommends more that I could ever read but I don't know that I would have a student I could even recommend this to.
The reading level is challenging, with few words throughout the story, they are a bit complex for the younger ones but with it being so short it wouldn't appeal to the older students still reading picture books.
It is great for boys who are struggling with gender expectations if that is what you're looking for.

Such an important read! Loved every single page of it. The metaphors were so on point and the messages conveyed even more so. I would recommend this to every parent or educator.

This picture book has nice poetic imagery and a good message about how boys can be tender, soft, and quiet in addition to being tough, strong, and bold. Some reviewers have criticized this for implying that boys need to reject their natural masculine tendencies to become more feminine, but I didn't take it that way, and saw it as a both/and approach. However, even though I don't have a problem with the book's message, I don't foresee it being particularly successful with young audiences.

The poetic text is very abstract and metaphorical, which means that it doesn't speak to children's experiences directly. There's nothing here that will really engage boys or describe struggles they may have, and this is mainly just something for adults to appreciate and take into consideration as they interact with boys.

Blake Nuto uses beautiful illustrations of nature to explain emotions and characteristics in When You're a Boy.

The juxtaposition of characteristics such as strength and power with internal feelings shows the complexity of childhood and expectations.

The overall tone of the story is joyful, and the illustrations enhance that tone. As a parent of two young boys, this is one I want on my bookshelf.

Thank you to Jolly Fish Press for the advanced copy. #WhenYoureaBoy #NetGalley

Embracing your full humanity provides much more depth to life.

Gentle, true and deep feelings are an antidote to one-sided machoism. Textured and nuanced, the illustrations surface the depth of feelings that all boys can welcome into their lives, beyond the stereotypical things they may be told to be by the world around them.

Thanks to @NetGalley for sharing this DRC with me for an honest review.

As a mother of a boy, one of my recurring concerns is raising my son to become someone who knows that there are many untruths about what culturally is understood as a "to be a man". I believe that it is culturally shaped from childhood, even in small things like "boys wear blue and girls wear pink." It may seem silly, but I don't believe it really is.

Boys often grow up thinking that they can't cry, can't be vulnerable, can't be sensitive. And what a huge loss we have when these boys become men who have been deprived of expressing their emotions. Even worse, many grow up believing that to be a "real man," one must act violently in certain cases, confusing assertiveness with brutality.

But fortunately, I truly believe that the seed of change lies in these boys themselves. If they know that they have much more freedom than they imagine. If they understand that being strong goes far beyond physical strength. Being strong, most of the time, has more to do with following one's own convictions. But to do this, we need to let them form their convictions sincerely. Boys don't hold back their tears. Boys also get sad, and there's nothing wrong with allowing themselves to cry if sadness demands it.

And books like "When You're a Boy" propose this, to show boys that there are many ways to be a boy.

The book begins:

"When you're a boy,
you're told how to be
like the white-roaring oceans.
But I've learned
the fierceness of flowers,
the glory of color,
and the beauty of dreaming."

And it's in this direction that the book continues, exposing examples of what is expected of boys, but contrasting them with something infinitely more beautiful and stunning.

I haven't read this book properly with my son yet. I believe it's one of those books that needs to be read in a physical edition, with its very large illustrations, accessible to children, because the images, with their delicacy, also express a great narrative power.

I recited it while he was drawing, but some passages caught his attention in a way he put down the markers for a while and asked me to describe better what was happening in the scene. And I find that simply wonderful and enriching. It's the kind of book I would love to have at home. It will be released in November of this year (2025), but it is already available for pre-order on Amazon.

The book's narrative is poetic, as you can see from the excerpt I brought above, making it a book with few words, easy for children to retain, but with enormous power for reflection and teaching.

I'm looking forward to reading this book with my boy.

*Review will be posted on April, 2nd (2025): https://percursosliterariosblog.com/2025/04/01/when-youre-a-boy-blake-nuto/

Soft imagery with messaging about how boys are told to be stoic, violent, in aggressive pursuit of more, etc. but a father figure is telling the boy the power he’s found in slowness, contentment, nature, song, etc.

It’s very sweet. The vocabulary is advanced and there is a lot of symbolism at play that would require deeper conversation for a child to understand the messaging.

It was a fun read. The artwork in it was good and fit the words perfectly. I liked the message behind it and will read it to my kid later to see what she thinks of it.

I loved the theme of this book and my kids (girl and boy) enjoyed the storytelling, but even more so the illustrations. They loved the eagle page most of all. It’s important to appreciate both strength and tenderness. Would be a perfect baby shower or newborn gift actually to have on the shelf and read over the years.

An adorable read for the little boys inside of us who were raised with a singular view of what a boy/man should be.

Very charming. Thank you for the opportunity.

I like the duality of strong qualities and soft qualities and how as a boy we teach our kids, especially boys that the important quatlities are the strong ones and we don’t emphazise the importance of the soft ones. I liked the illustrations and the text was good for little kids

Thank you for the ARC. As a boy mom, I was excited to see where this book was going and what message it was going to send. Maybe it’s just me but I didn’t get the analogy used. I also didn’t care for the illustrations or the font of the wording. This was a huge miss for me.

When You’re a Boy is a gentle, lyrical, and visually stunning book that challenges traditional ideas of masculinity and opens up space for boys to feel, dream, and be themselves. Through poetic language and rich imagery, it explores what it truly means to be a boy—not just strong and loud like the “white-roaring oceans,” but also soft, colorful, and imaginative like flowers and dreams.

As a mom of boys, this book really resonated with me. It’s a beautiful reminder that our sons don’t need to fit into narrow boxes or hide parts of themselves to be accepted. In a world where toxic masculinity is still often the norm, When You’re a Boy gently pushes back against harmful stereotypes and instead celebrates emotional depth, sensitivity, and self-expression.

I gave it 4 stars only because I wished it were a bit longer or had more narrative moments to spark deeper conversation with young readers. Still, it’s a powerful and meaningful read—perfect for bedtime, classroom discussions, or as a gift to the boys in your life. A must-have for anyone raising kind, confident, and compassionate boys.

I could never call this a children's book. If I could, I wouldn't have cried reading it. Gentle and soft, this little piece of book showed me how the world try to mold us into what it wants rather than what we want to be, how we want to be, who we want to be. Rather than following the social stigma of "boys don't cry, boys should be strong", this book is an eye opener, in the most loving way, that it's okay to be soft, to be vulnerable, to be whatever that you feel in your heart and soul, and to not always choose the path the world asks you yo choose.

I don't have kids. I'm no way near having kids, but if I ever have one, this will definitely be one of the books I'd get for them. And for me too. As a person who got bullied for being soft and not so boyish, this book made me stronger in being who I am, and I'm greatful for it!

This is such a beautiful picture book! I love the message - how you don't have to be one way, you have options and you can be uniquely yourself. This is a good message to teach children. The artwork and illustrations are just gorgeous!

This is a sweet poetic book. The illustrations evoke emotions.I do love the premise and the message, but it would not be a good fit for my six year old boy. The figurative language, I feel, is bit too abstract. Still, a beautiful book to own and may be more meaningful for adults than its intended audience.

I loved this. It shows little boys that you don't have to hide your feelings, just because you are a boy. I love that so much. an adorable little story to read to your little boy

In terms of gender roles, boys are often brought up with the expectation to be strong and conform to specific behaviors. This book encourages young boys to express their feelings and embrace their emotions when necessary. It serves as an excellent example of breaking free from societal expectations and being true to oneself!