American Girl talks to boys in ‘Guy Stuff’
Pediatrician-written book uses pictures to discuss puberty
For the first time in its history, American Girl is talking directly to boys. And it’s about their bodies.
“Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys” ($12.99), published Tuesday, follows the success of American Girl’s earlier book series “The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls.” “Guy Stuff,” like the earlier books for girls, was written by pediatrician Cara Natterson, mother of a 14year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy.
“Guy Stuff” speaks to boys about the physical and emotional changes of puberty in a direct, friendly voice with engaging, gently comic illustrations. Samples of the book provided indicate that Natterson encourages boys to understand these changes and respond to them in healthy ways.
In a Q&A released by American Girl, Natterson said the book is appropriate for boys as young as 7 to 8 years old. She hopes it will start conversations between children and their parents, noting that the hormonal changes of puberty often leads boys to become quiet, even withdrawn.
As for parents and puberty, Natterson tells them “there is no such thing as ‘The Talk.’ If you plan to only discuss puberty once through ‘The Talk,’ your kids are unlikely to hear it. Parents should aim to have many conversations over several years, slowly covering a lot of ground.”
Based in Middleton, American Girl is famous for its dolls, which come with historical back stories. As girls also know, AG is an active publisher of fiction related to the dolls and other kinds of books.