School Library Journal (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 1-5 A series of color photographs of children from around the world accompany a simple text. A child describes his life "as a boy" and explains how many things are different for girls. The text is written by Plan International, a charitable organization with the stated goal of "[improving]the lives of children." Several countries are mentioned, such as Bangladesh, Liberia, Guatemala, Ireland, Laos, and Haiti, but it is unclear whether the text is addressing conditions in all of the places or if the photographs were chosen to illustrate a particular situation. This selection demonstrates awareness that life can be challenging for boys, too; for instance, the book discusses feeling afraid, with an accompanying photo of a boy holding a piece of wood carved in the shape of a gun. The text goes on to say, "I am also a son and a brother. One day I might even be a father." The tone increasingly becomes more paternalistic and less applicable to a child audience. In seeking to raise awareness about the lack of worldwide equal educational opportunities for girls and women, this title is well-intentioned. In execution, however, it loses sight of its child audience and suffers from a lack of clarity. VERDICT Not recommended. Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Themes of empathy and gender equality drive this contemplation of boyhood, created by not-for-profit organization Plan International. Photographs of children from around the world, labeled with the countries from which they originate, pair with a first-person narrative that touches on the pressures boys face (-As a boy, I will be told to be a man, to work, to fight, to be brave-) and the opportunities not always available to girls (-I will be able to go to school and learn each day... while my sisters must work and wish for an education... because they are -just- girls-). Since no context is provided for these broad, thought-provoking statements, it will be up to parents and/or teachers to initiate deeper discussions of the concepts the book raises. Ages 5-9. (Sept.)

Kirkus Reviews

An NGO's follow-up to previous books about girls' education and empowerment offers a well-meaning companion message of solidarity.Photographs of boys and girls combine with first-person text ostensibly delivered from a universal boy's voice: "As a boy, I will have choices from the day I am born. Some will be made for me… / and some I will make for myself." While the phrase "made for me" hedges toward acknowledging the ways an individual's power is dependent on identity, most images are of children of color from developing countries (named in photo captions), and the book situates boyhood power and opportunity in a sociopolitical and historical vacuum. The text acknowledges pressures boys often face around masculinity: "As a boy, I will be told to be a man, to work, to fight, to be brave. / But as I am just a boy, sometimes I will be afraid," but there's room for much more exploration of this aspect of boyhood. It's true that boys often have greater opportunities and power than girls do within their respective societies, but it's not true that all boys "will be able to go to school and learn each day." Furthermore, situating support for girls' and women's empowerment in boys' roles as brothers, sons, and future fathers invites solidarity through familial love rather than through acknowledgement of fundamental human rights. An uneven if well-intentioned offering. (Picture book. 4-8)

ALA Booklist (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Striking photographs of children of all ages and from different countries fill this short but important picture book that presents to young readers the reality that in many places, girls do not have the same opportunities as boys. Children and their parents are shown in their homes, at school, with friends, and with siblings. They are shown laughing, playing, running, learning, and working. With short, clear sentences made up of large, crisp text that runs across the bottom of the pages, this book shows children that in some places, girls are not able to go to school, are not able to have a voice, and are not able to be what they would like to be when they grow up. Boys in photographs are shown with their mothers, sisters, and friends, and an invisible boy narrator encourages other boys to speak up for girls and for their right to make their own choices. A powerful and important message, recommended for all libraries.