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Parenthood has taught me a thing or two about boys that I never knew before. Growing up, I had three brothers, and I found each of them charming in his own way, but as a group they really grossed me out. Now that I am the mother of a nine-year-old boy of my own and two stepsons, both nearing adulthood, I find that many of those things that I perceived as wretched boy things when I was a child are really quite fun. Having the world shown to me through the eyes of a boy has taught me to look at things a little differently than I did before. That said, Bart King’s The Big Book of Boy Stuff delivers much of what one may expect and a few surprises as well.
Opening my box of books, I winked at my son and said, “Now here’s one for you. Let’s read to see what this book has to offer.” My son smiled back with a twinkle in his eye that implied that I might be in for more than I had bargained for.
Always the scientist, my nine-year-old turned straight to the Table of Contents to search for “experiments.” He was not disappointed by the scientific choices as he found chapter titles such as “Emergencies!,” “Experiments!,” “Fireworks and Explosions!,” and “Flying Things!” “Wow!” he exclaimed. “This book has a whole lot of stuff in it.” When I looked over his shoulder, I found that, indeed, he was correct.
King’s Boy Stuff offering is comprehensive, to say the least. In fact, it seems that there is something in this book for every kind of boy and, honestly, most little girls. Chapter titles include “Slang!”, “Riddles!”, “Storytelling!,” “Tongue Twisters!,” “Gadgets, Tools and Toys!,” “Indoor Games!,” “Outdoor Games,” “Jokes!,” “Insults!,” and “Magic!” And, dream of dreams, there is even a chapter entitled “Gross Stuff!” that is sure to please mischievous boys.
Although we have had a lot of fun trying many of the activities that Bart King describes and Chris Sabatino brings to life with vivid, whimsical illustrations in The Big Book of Boy Stuff, we have not tried them all. My nine-year-old, mischievous in his own right, insists we savor them slowly.
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The Big Book of Boy Stuff