On the heels of releasing its first-ever boy doll, Mattel-owned American Girl is taking things a step further with the launch of Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys. Penned by pediatrician and author Dr. Cara Natterson, the book is meant to serve as a resource for boys navigating adolescence.
Guy Stuff is aimed at tweens and covers topics like healthy eating, shaving, acne and peer pressure.
“It’s the head-to-toe resource guide for boys,” says American Girl’s senior public relations manager Stephanie Spanos. “It really provides age-appropriate advice about all of the physical, emotional and social health issues that are happening to boys during adolescence and puberty.”
Dr. Natterson is behind American Girls’ The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls series. The first Care and Keeping of You book launched in 1998, and the series has sold millions of copies.
The release of Guy Stuff follows the launch of the first American Boy doll, Logan Everett, earlier this year, kicking into motion a cast of American Girl characters designed to represent diverse personalities and backgrounds.
“There was an enormous amount of buzz and attention around that first male doll, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Spanos says. “We have heard from our customers over the years that girls wanted boy dolls to extend that world of play, and on the flip side we also know that there are many parents out there who have wanted that same quality doll for their sons.”
While there are no current plans to extend the American Boy line, Spanos says the company isn’t ruling out the idea of additional male-skewing products. American Girl’s track record on diversity and inclusion are things the company is incredibly proud of, she says.
“We’re proud not only of the ethnically diverse options, but also of the accessories and options we have, from a diabetes care kit, to wheel chairs and dolls without hair. It’s an area we’re really committed to.”
Guy Stuff is now available through the American Girl catalog, at americangirl.com, at American Girl retail stores and in select bookstores across the US.