Dear Boy
My sisters and I call Mini Me our first girl. OURS. She is not just my daughter, she’s theirs too. Same with my Macy and Little Lion. They are mine, but their OURS too. This is how I feel about my niece and nephews too. They’re mine.
I imagine that this is how my mom felt about my cousins when we were growing up. Even now.
So, for me, it’s fitting that when Paris Rosenthal, in collaboration with her dad, Jason Rosenthal released Dear Boy a few weeks ago, you bet that I snatched it up the second I saw it at the store. I needed to get one for my boy, Monkey. And I got a copy of Dear Girl for Piggy too.
As I’ve written about before, Dear Girl has many messages that are close to my heart. And the fact that it’s been published posthumously for Amy Krouse Rosenthal with her daughter, Paris Rosenthal, makes it more meaningful. Rosenthal has made such an impact on children’s literature and on children (and us not-so-little children) everywhere. I just love that her daughter is carrying on that legacy.
Dear Boy is an anthem for little boys to be who they are, but not in a boys will be boys old-school way. In a way that is full of acceptance for others and most importantly, for oneself.
It has lovely teachings without being overly preachy, and is also whimsically illustrated by Holly Hatam.
A must-read for my little boy.
