Written by Renee Irving Lee
Illustrated by Goce Ilievski
Published by Lilly Pilly Publishing
Exciting News Announcement: The Strongest Boy is due to be released early 2019!
What’s it all about….
“Max thinks he is the strongest boy in the world. He can do all sorts of tough tricks, like showing off his strong muscles, lifting heavy furniture, pushing things over and even breaking things. His pet bird, Bruce tells him just how strong he is too. One day, Max and Bruce go to a birthday party and he thinks he is the strongest, mightiest, coolest kid there. But why was everyone mad at him?”
We live in a society that tells our boys that they need to be the alpha male who is strong, masculine and socially dominant. With the rise of violence against women, one punch assaults, suicide, and teenage mental health problems – there is a global epidemic facing our young boys!
Boys are born sweet, kind and caring – let’s not allow society to change that!
The Strongest Boy challenges the reader to change their current definition of strong, the language that they choose to use and the way in which they treat themselves and others. It is aimed at the 3-6-year-old age group and delivers this message in a subtle, entertaining and engaging way. It has been targeted to boys, but it is a story that can be enjoyed by both genders.
About the Illustrator
Goce is an artist/illustrator from Skopje, Macedonia, with significant experience in contemporary, traditional, and digital art forms. He graduated at the Faculty of Fine Arts and has held 13 solo exhibitions, and participated in many group exhibitions in Macedonia, Germany, Austria, Iceland, Turkey, and Bulgaria. He has won many awards for oil painting, watercolour and photography from numerous institutions and countries. Goce was the painting animator for the world’s first fully painted feature film, Loving Vincent.
Goce is still working on the final illustrations, but here is a sneak peek of the very first rough sketch he did of Max and his pet bird, Bruce!!!
What do the professionals think of The Strongest Boy?
“This delightful picture book explores the notion of how to be a strong boy. Rather than just using physical strength that often hurts others sometimes accidentally, Max learns better ways of being strong using his mind and his words. This is such an important message to share with all young children.” — Maggie Dent, parenting author, educator and resilience specialist
“I am giving you a standing ovation! I am thanking you for your incredible words. As a former teacher of 25 years, I know that this picture book is going to be in teachers’ hands, libraries and schools, homes of ‘strong’ boys and in demand by child psychologists.” Julieann Wallace, Dip T, B. Ed (creative writing & art major), Publisher, Editor and Author
Stay up to date with the latest progress of The Strongest Boy:
- Subscribe to my blog (press the green ‘follow’ button on the right-hand side)
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- Like The Strongest Boy Project: Click Here
The Strongest Boy Project is a Facebook page dedicated to providing resources that help to redefine masculinity and support boys to be strong with their minds, words and hearts.
Children’s Author, Freelance Writer + Educational Consultant
Renee is a children’s author based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. She is passionate about creating profound social change by providing children, teachers and parents with the positive language needed for healthy social and emotional development. She is the author of picture books, The Strongest Boy, and Rosie Leads the Way.
Categories: The Strongest Boy
