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Parents' Guide to

Dear Boy, A Celebration of Cool, Clever, Compassionate You!

By Regan McMahon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Encouraging advice for boys stresses kindness, compassion.

Book Paris Rosenthal , Jason Rosenthal Picture Book 2019
Dear Boy, A Celebration of Cool, Clever, Compassionate You! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

DEAR BOY, is a companion book to author Paris Rosenthal's Dear Girl, which she wrote with her late mother, Amy Krouse Rosenthal. This one, written with her father, Jason Rosenthal, shows lots of possible "boy" situations -- rock climbing, playing hockey, basketball, running a race -- but it also shows a boy being an artist, playing with girls, playing with dolls. And it shows the main character kindly offering a boy a fresh ice cream bar after that boy dropped his. The underlying message for boys, as it was for girls, is: You can be whatever you want to be, and you are loved and supported.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This encouraging book is loaded with positive messages, examples of kind, compassionate behavior, and cute cartoony illustrations by Holly Hatam. Some of the thoughts are tried and true, like "Believe in yourself before others can believe in you." And some seem fresher, like "It's okay not to know," "Always trust magic," and "Feeling cloudy? / It's okay to let the rain fall." There's even a message about consent: "Yes means yes. / Anything else means no." All hold the possibility of prompting further discussion and coming up with other real-life examples, making Dear Boy, a great, comforting, thought-provoking read-aloud.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the ways girls and boys play together in Dear Boy, A Celebration of Cool, Clever, Compassionate You!. Do you play with both boys and girls? Are there ways that boys and girls play differently, or can any person play any way?

  • What's your favorite page in Dear Boy? What's the boy doing that you'd like to do?

  • What do the authors mean when they say "Always trust magic"?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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