Susanna Leonard Hill

As adorable as expected!

When I read “What Little Girls Are Made Of” a month ago, I wished with all my heart that there would be a similar book for boys. And voila! This one turned up in my life!

Society always makes many assumptions about how girls should live their lives, and this has been criticised aplenty. However, there are an equal number of judgemental statements made about the way boys should follow a pre-set definition of masculinity, but this often goes ignored. Whether it is show more the ridiculous “boys don’t cry” or the outdated “boys don’t play with dolls” or the restrictive “boys don’t dabble in art/dance”, boys too have suffered over the years. This book throws the traditional idea of “things boys must do” on its head and presents a more modern, realistic, and appropriate list of the same.

The book begins with the introductory lines of the 19th century nursery rhyme titled "What Are Little Boys Made Of?" These go: “What are little boys made of? Snips, snails and puppy-dogs' tails.” (Just in case you didn’t know, the second half of this rhyme is more popular, the one that declares that little girls are made of “Sugar and spice and everything nice.” Both the ideas are equally flawed.) The content then provides an extended and diverse list of what little boys actually do. The book doesn’t shy away from any action not considered “boyish”, and even depicts crying and cooking among many other activities. There are some lovely affirmations at the end that little boys can repeat daily until the positivity seeps into their psyche.

The language is quite easy to understand, and the content having a mix of poetic rhymes and text works to its advantage.

The illustrations by Natalie Vasilica add the perfect charm to the book. What I especially loved is how inclusive the sketches were, even to the point of showing a boy with long hair.

Strongly recommended to every little boy and to every parent who wants to teach their sons how they are wonderful and diverse human beings who needn’t be restricted by the mould society forces them into just by virtue of their XY chromosomes. Suited for ages 3-8.

5 dazzling stars.

My thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Kids, Sourcebooks Wonderland, and NetGalley for the DRC of “What Little Boys Are Made Of”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter show less

Every day Rose asks: "Is the baby here yet?", and every day her parents answer "Not yet, Rose." At first she thinks she'd like a little sister to dress-up, and then she imagines having a little brother with whom to go fishing. Finally, she begins to wonder if she wants a sibling at all, and to question her own fitness for the job of older sister. But when the big day finally arrives, and Rose holds the new baby in her arms, she knows that everything has turned out just the way it show more should...

Reassurance tales for young children about to become older siblings are not so uncommon, but Not Yet, Rose is a fine addition to the genre. Susanna Leonard Hill's narrative is a sensitive portrait of a young girl working through her conflicting feelings, of anticipation, anxiety and resentment. Nicole Rutten's violet-tinged illustrations, done in watercolor and pencil, complement the tale adorably! show less

Divided opinion in my house, some liked the sense of fun and others railed at the lack of scientific accuracy. All were charmed by Pluto.

Phyllis was not like other groundhogs: she liked getting up in February rather than in March. If she had to choose, she’d rather be outside than stay indoors.

And she has a dream. One day, she wants to take her uncle’s place; she wants to be Punxsutawney Phil.

=========

This clever tale looks at Groundhog Day from the viewpoint of the groundhog. Phyllis loves things that the rest of her family does not [like getting up in February] and her mom has taken to saying, “That’s just show more Phyllis.” But her uncle Phil discovers that she has the talents for the Groundhog Day job; what he decides will delight the young reader.

Brightly colored picture accompany the text; the target audience for this book is the young reader, preschool through primary grades, ages three to eight. And its message, that girls are just as capable as boys, remains relevant today.

Highly recommended.

This book was originally published as “Punxsutawney Phyllis.”

Highly recommended. show less