Title: Boy Oh Boy
Author: Dr. Cliff Leek
Illustrator: Bene Rohlmann
Age Group: 5-10
Synopsis: An inspiring collection of men who all found ways to not only succeed but inspire those around them.
The Lowdown:
I was talking with a friend recently and they said that life is full of chances and luck and some people get those and some don’t. End of story. I was a bit speechless for a moment. I’m aware that I can be somewhat ambitiously optimistic but hearing such a finite view of life really left me shocked. Of course, life is peppered with luck and chances and she’s right someone growing up with private tutors and attentive parents can hardly be compared to an orphan in a third world nation. But I don’t, or really I can’t, believe that that’s where everything begins and ends. What about those who get those chances but do nothing to grasp them? Those that aren’t inspired to try and persevere. I feel that’s a huge influence on who we become as well. The biggest influences we can have as role models are those we see everyday and those we hear or read about.
Inspired by the frustrating phrase “boys will be boys”, Dr. Cliff Leek, compiled these life-stories to encourage people to broaden their view and expectations when it comes to men. Consequently. this collection of biographies is extremely diverse, not only in regards to ethnicity but also discipline, featuring scientists, activists, authors, athletes, and artists, for different social and socio-economic backgrounds. Each page-spread includes a stylized illustration and then a one-page biography. These biographies always begin with where each person was born and then gradually reveal the contributions that that person made to society how they challenged its expectations.
The extremely stylized illustrations are consistent throughout the book, giving the collection a complete and uniform look. That doesn’t mean each page is the same. The borders and illustrations that accompany the portrait are directly influenced by the men they are highlighting. Additionally each name in the table of contents also has a symbol next to it briefly describing the person with just a short icon. Bug, who is space crazy right now, immediately wanted to read about Carl Sagan since his icon was a planet.
We’ve really enjoyed this book and slowly discovering new stories as we go. The book, for us, is really just a springboard. The short biographies often prompt internet searches for more information. We spent one afternoon researching Carlos Acosta and then Bug leapt and twirled across the living room while a YouTube video of Acosta dancing ballet played in the background. There are figures that he doesn’t relate to as much (he thought Prince’s lyrics were pretty uninspired: “Why does he just sing Purple Rain the whole song? Doesn’t he know any other words?”) but there are men whose stories he gobbles up. And I hope that in doing so he understands, just as Dr. Leek was intending, that there are many definitions of what makes a man. These men are examples that just because an expectation is set does not mean that it needs to be met. The world and life are rife with endless opportunities but many of those can’t be reached if we just accept social norms and lack the inspiration to try.
Story Tips:
- Given Bug’s age (4) we’ve just been reading one or two stories at a time. And if he were a bit older we might do more but I think too many at a time would really detract from the impact these stories make. We love finding out more about each of these men, which really helps bring them to life.
I need more!
This is Dr. Leek’s first book but if you’d like more information about him and his research at the University of Northern Colorado (Go Bears!) check out: https://cliffleek.com/
Bene Rohlmann has done quite a bit of commercial work, especially here in Germany. His website’s a trifle complicated to navigate, so I would just follow him on Instagram: @bene_rohlmann
Add to my library:
(I received this book from Quarto Books for review but all the views and opinions are my own)
