Something interesting we saw on the CPB Prism Newsletter and wanted to share. https://prism.chennaiphotobiennale.com
“What a mystery it is to be a boy…so uneducated and therefore so fresh and uncynical. We should end our disparagement of the boy, of our own immaturities, of our tardiness in growing up…We could speak words of encouragement to this boy where we find him – in our friends and students, in our institutions, and in our own hearts. If we do not speak to him in this way, he will be lost, and we will have lost with him, all tenderness and grace.” Thomas Moore Quoted by Bell Hooks in ‘The Will to Change’, a book in which she stresses on the importance of seeing boyhood differently – as a time when boys can revel in giving and receiving love, rather than a time of indoctrination into manhood.

Here are some recommendations on 16 children’s books about boys being boys. https://prism.chennaiphotobiennale.com/2021/06/17/books-about-boys-being-boys/
You can also check out their list of books about children who challenge gender stereotypes. https://prism.chennaiphotobiennale.com/2021/03/19/15-storybooks-for-children-challenging-gender/
They suggest a list of beautiful films featuring boys and men challenging traditional gender roles.
- Hair Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNw8V_Fkw28 A film about a father learning to braid his daughter’s hair
- Luca: https://www.hotstar.com/in/movies/luca/1260063730/watch A film about friendship, running away, and boys who are different finding acceptance
- My Father After Dinner: https://gldysng.com/My-Father-After-Dinner A portrait of an ageing father, delicately captured through the eyes of his daughter
- The Little Prince(ss): https://www.hotstar.com/in/movies/the-little-prince-ss/1260063088/watch A film about a boy who is gender non-conforming
- Billy Elliot and Yeh Ballet: https://mubi.com/films/billy-elliot and https://mubi.com/films/yeh-ballet Films about boys who love ballet
- In a Heartbeat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2REkk9SCRn0 A film about a boy with a crush on another boy
- Stand by Me: https://mubi.com/films/stand-by-me A timeless film about a boy who’s sensitive, a boy who’s ‘tough’, a boy who’s flamboyant, and a boy with a penchant for humour (with a young Will Wheaton and a young River Phoenix!)