RICHARD AND THE BOYZ

An illustrated guide for preteen boys that seeks to answer questions about puberty.

In her nonfiction book, marriage and family therapist Pierre-Louis (Co-Parenting Guidelines, 2004) addresses queries that many young people (and some parents) have about male puberty with help from debut author Caffey, a retired basketball player for two World Championship–winning Chicago Bulls teams. She answers them using a fictional framing device: a lecture by a character named Dr. David Richard who talks about two young boys, 9-year-old Preeb and 12-year-old Pube. With the aid of debut artist Burke’s terrific color illustrations (which cartoonishly portrays the main characters as anthropomorphic, hat-wearing male genitalia), Pierre-Louis uses clear, concise and anatomically precise language to set the stage: “So, what really triggers the puberty show?” Richard rhetorically asks his audience. “In us guys, the special sauce is a chemical, a hormone called Testosterone.” He then delves into specifics on a wide array of topics, including the changing nature of adolescent skin, the causes and nature of random erections, the perennial mystery of pimples, the pros and cons of circumcision, the unsettling question of changing vocal registers, and other matters. In all cases, Pierre-Louis opts for a straightforward, heavily factual approach that offers instruction and dispels persistent misinformation; the section on masturbation, for instance, runs through a list of purported evils that are definitely not a result of that activity. The book, which includes a foreword by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, carefully and discreetly addresses difficult subjects in a realistic manner. When discussing the mood swings that accompany puberty, for instance, the text offers practical advice: “If you take three really deep breaths before doing or saying anything, it will calm you down…If you can’t remember to breathe, walk away.”

A fun and friendly walk through potentially confusing aspects of growing up.