Be Boy Buzz

by bell hooks, Chris Raschka (Illustrator)

From legendary author and critic bell hooks and multi-Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka comes an acclaimed ode to Black boy joy, perfect for fans of I Am Every Good Thing and I Am Enough .




I be boy. All bliss boy. All fine beat. All beau boy. Beautiful.




Here a tight, exuberant story from two award-winning creators that captures the essence and energy of what it means to be a boy. Chris Raschka's soulful illustrations buzz with a force that is the perfect match for bell hooks' powerful words.








Praise for Be Boy



*"This spare, poetic riff on young manhood plumbs the delights and contradictions of what it means to be a boy... Hooks's rhythmic blend of brevity and eloquence launches Raschka's trademark visual haiku... This life-affirming book will have readers as much 'in love with being a boy' as are its own utterly irresistible characters."
--- Publishers Weekly , starred review

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Poetry, African American, Fiction, Feminism, Cultural

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

About the author

bell hooks (deliberately in lower-case; born Gloria Jean Watkins) was an African-American author, feminist, and social activist. Her writing focused on the interconnectivity of race, class, and gender and their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and domination. She published over thirty books and numerous scholarly and mainstream articles, appeared in several documentary films and participated in various public lectures. Primarily through a postmodern female perspective, she addressed race, class, and gender in education, art, history, sexuality, mass media and feminism.

Reviews

[alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read a book that openly sang the praises of boyhood. Though so many kids' books just focus on boys as the main character, this book looks at a variety of different moods and interests and ties them all with the joys of being a boy. It feels very personal. Like the story should be read to one beloved young boy. I can't imagine a group setting where I would choose this book, but I think it would be wonderful to add to a nursery or to share with family members and close friends. Having spent so much time looking for feminist literature with young girl protagonists, I like how bell hooks has provided a great feminist book that doesn't even mention girls.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book! It is a nice poem about being a boy. It loses one star for me because my son loses interest due to most pages being the same color. But the illustrations are very fun and unique. It’s nice to read a book about boyhood that acknowledges rowdiness, but also includes sweetness, solitude, and beauty. This momma is pleased.

[Lisa Rathbun]

I can see that people would love this book, but it wasn't a hit for me. My son would totally hate the word "beautiful." Also, the grammar "I be boy running. I be boy jumping" does not resonate for us. As for me, I didn't get adding the word "buzz" at the end. I guess he was buzzing around?

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young African-American boy celebrates being a boy.

[Molly Toomey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in an almost "free verse" style, this book highlights a little african-american boy who is doing different things, such as running, being, laughing, etc. It's a positive book that reminds the little boy that he is something who can be anything he wants to be. This book would be useful in any classroom, but especially within an inner-city classroom that was filled with african-american students who could relate to the book.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like other hooks-Raschka collaborations, this book is lively, energetic, and joyful. It is clearly the gendered companion to _Happy to be Nappy_, though this book celebrates black boyhood in a way that is not as tied to their bodies. I think _Grump, Groan, and Growl_ is hooks' best work, as this work has some problematic framing of boyhood, but I appreciate the rhythm and tone of this picture book.

[Lisa Skripps · Rating 2 out of 5]

Be Boy Buzz, by Bell Hooks, is a wonderful book about a young boy who loves being, well, a boy. The main character, whose name we never learn, is a young African American boy who takes us on a journey explaining all of the things he enjoys doing as a boy. With beautiful illustrations, this book will carry any reader away as they explore the wonderful things about being a boy.

[Laura Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! Be Boy Buzz is a great book to read to boys. Chris Raschka uses very simple illustrations to allow the reader to clearly understand the point of the story. I really enjoyed this book because it is a gender acceptable book that boys would connect to. The book encourages boys to be themselves. I would highly recommend the book.

[Miri Gifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't decided yet whether it's awesome or slightly disappointing that my first bell hooks was her children's book (I've been meaning to read her feminist theory for so long, and just happened to pick this up today without realizing what it was at first). The book is lovely—a young boy describing why he's "in love with being a boy."

[Angela Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the adventures of being a boy. The illustrations are interesting in this book; they are more like chalk drawings. Be Boy Buzz would be a good book for boys to read, because this book displays things that boys normally do. I enjoyed this book because it displays the good and the bad things that boys sometimes will do.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be Boy Buzz is a really charming celebration of boyhood, that emphasizes loving being a boy without giving into any of the toxic traits that might make up such a thing. You can laugh and cry and be happy and beautiful and still love being a boy. I would have expected nothing less from bell hooks. The illustrations were cute, and this makes for a charming read aloud.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a celebration not only of boyhood but specifically of the joy of Black boyhood (which all too often is cut short). The text is simple enough for emerging readers but still is poetic in a way that I feel older readers can also appreciate. The layout of the text and images is especially beautiful, which is an added bonus.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice way to encourage boys to be themselves. It seems to follow boy stereotypes, though, both in the text and the illustrations. I like bell hooks' poetry, but wish she would have pushed some more alternative boy buzz.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rhythmic read aloud celebration of being a boy. Mixed media artwork features images of African American boys with a variety of skin tones. I really liked the way each person was loosely defined by the lines making up their physical forms. PreK-2.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this story, but I just didn't. It didn't help that I didn't really understand it, and the grammar was deliberately awful.

I did, however, like Raschka's illustrations in this context, which is new and different for me.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This board book is meant to connect with a male audience and empower their choices, including showing emotions. The message and diversity is needed in literature; however, I am not fond of books that are marketed specifically for one gender.

[Tanika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about pride in being a boy, but anyone who reads it would feel proud to be his self or herself. This book has great illustrations and rhymes. Easy to follow along.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A boy in love with being a boy. Great message.

bell hooks is brilliant. Her minimal text paired with Raschka's art is powerful.

[Katie Ryder]

This book has wonderful illustrations and is all about celebrating being a boy! The rhythm of the text is smooth and is easy to follow. Great book for boys!

[Felicia Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great because of it's multicultural theme and the way it describes boys. It is not stereotypical. It is just a good book for boys.

[Kellie Hennessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of book appeal to the a certain kind of person. This book is a different kind of book that allows for students to see their own language in a book that they do not normally get to see.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute, vibrant illustrations. Read to my youth programming class during storytime presentations.

[Bridgid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Positive images of male-ness

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

With bell hook's lyrical text and Chris Raschka's fluid illustrations, boyhood is celebrated from the loud and active moments to the quiet and still times and everything in between

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. Cute art.

[Stevolende · Rating 5 out of 5]

Existential classic about the potentiality of being male.
All the things one can be and all the things one is.
Resonates deeply told in a minimal style which could be accessible to children.
I think a room decorated in this would look really good too.

Actually, if hooks has written other picture books along similar lines i want to read them. THis does seriously seem to resonate on a deeper level. It is aimed at kids but I would recommend people of other ages take a look at it. Seems to be a great foundation for a more egalitarian understanding of the human. Blooming great.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I make sure books with diverse characters and places are included in our reading so that all cultures and skin colors are normalized. The purpose of this book is to highlight the joys of being a boy. But, my kids like a story and since this book really didn't have one, when I asked if they like it, they did not give rave reviews.

[the judgy reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two reasons to read Be Boy Buzz:

1) I love the artwork in this one. It's gorgeous.

2) The text promotes a very healthy mindset for young boys, and it made me smile despite me not being the target audience.

One drawback to Be Boy Buzz:

1) It's a nice bit of poetry, but in my experience, children this young prefer story to rhyme.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never really liked this poem, but I really liked it in this board book. The illustrations are so beautiful and colorful, and I loved the positive message it send to the babies that might read this poem with their parents.

[Cristi Donoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book of poetry for children. Love to see this celebration of black boyhood and boyhood in general.