The Day Leo Said I Hate You! [Hardcover]

Robie Harris (Author), Molly Bang (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008 | Grade Level: P and up

In a reassuring manner, Robie H. Harris and Molly Bang portray what happens when a little boy feels SO frustrated and SO mad at a parent who has said NO all day long. In this family book about what it feels like to say--and hear--those other three words, Harris and Bang delicately navigate the most profound bonds between a parent and a child.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1—In this companion to When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry… (Scholastic, 1999), Harris's wisdom and sense of humor regarding early childhood behavior complement Bang's depictions of a little boy's strong emotions. Vivid colors, scanned and digitally manipulated paper cutouts and photographs, and fonts of varied sizes portray the tension between a preoccupied mother and her bored youngster. Leo rolls tomatoes in the house until they burst, drops string beans into the fish bowl, and squeezes toothpaste all over the toilet, collecting maternal "no's" as he goes. Ultimately pushed off the page by a fiery, life-size negation, the boy enters his bedroom, declares it a no-rule zone, and takes out his frustration by coloring a frowning mommy on his wall. The confrontation builds as she ignores his dictate, and Leo utters the fateful phrase. The tiny boy in the next spread is a picture of remorse and regret. The denouement offers a realistic and loving dialogue that should be required reading in parenting and anger-management classes. Mom takes a deep breath, eventually gets a grip, and together they talk about when it is and isn't acceptable to verbalize this four-letter word. Children will delight in the realism of the collage elements (cloud-covered sheets, shaggy stuffed animals, exploding broccoli spears) and relate to the intensity of the scenes in which Leo struggles with his rage and lack of power. It may dawn on parents that sometimes playing is better than getting another thing done.—Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
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From Booklist

The gentle analytic quality of such nonfiction Harris classics as It’s Perfectly Normal (1994) gives way to a series of emotional jolts in this raucous and cathartic story about the three little words able to drum up uncomfortable feelings in any family: I hate you. Leo is having one of those days when his mom says no to everything he wants to do, no matter how much fun it is (“No rolling tomatoes across the floor!”). After being sent to his room and yelled at for drawing a mean picture on his wall, Leo unleashes the dreaded curse in a vibrant two-page centerpiece dominated by “I hate you!” in Bang’s raging, scribbling, cut-and-paste style. The illustrations satisfyingly mirror the text after this point, using gloomy colors and isolating perspectives to show how Leo and his mom deal with the anger, shame, and fear that ensue.  Both parents and children will find comfort here; we all say things we don’t mean, and Harris knows that there are another three little words that can help make it all better. Grades K-3. --Daniel Kraus

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316065803
• ISBN-13: 978-0316065801
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,280,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gets the point across, February 4, 2009

By 

Jennifer Donovan "5minutesforbooks" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Day Leo Said I Hate You! (Hardcover)

This story will resonate with older preschoolers and mothers alike. Children get frustrated with rules and disappointments and as they learn to manage their feelings and their words, sometimes they let those not-so-nice three little words fly, "I hate you!"

Molly Bang's own bright and scribbled illustrations underscore the emotions conveyed by the story, and Leo's own drawings are used as an element of the story as well. I think it's a great way to open a conversation (or simply let the story teach without further pressing the issue).

3.0 out of 5 stars Leo's Own Reaction is a Bit Unrealistic for Me, July 26, 2011

By 

James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Day Leo Said I Hate You! (Hardcover)

This review contains plot spoilers, skip to the next if you don't want to know what happens, however with the title of the book, you've probably worked it out anyway.

I like the idea of this book, teaching children what words such as I hate you have on the recipient wether it's their parent or other children is a great lesson to be taught in a picture book. I just found that the main character Leo, inconsistent in how fast (as soon as he said it) he regrets saying the words "I hate you". This is before his mother explains to him why it's so wrong. Leo is for the events leading up to saying I hate you, basically a child showing no respect to his mother or other family member's possessions. His mother seems to be one of those in denial parents who doesn't want to discipline her child at all, thinking just saying no repeatedly is enough and probably if Leo ends up in jail or something down the track that it's society's fault or he has some medical condition excusing that behaviour. Leo obviously has no respect for the woman as is evidenced by his escalating destructive to the house and it's contents behaviour. So that fact that as soon as he utters the three words he instantly wants to take them back doesn't seem realistic to me at all. He would have known the things he was doing before were wrong but he still did them anyway. He's gone from not caring about breaking or vandalising other family member's possessions as well as parts of the house, to suddenly caring about his mother's feelings in relation to three words, which he obviously said to hurt her in the first place. That's not realistic to me, nor probably to most kids who come across people acting like Leo due to a lack of discipline in their upbringings in the playground and other daily aspects of their lives.

It would have made more sense if she or even better maybe another character such as sibling or grandparent who had overheard him say that, had pulled him aside and explained why saying that is never okay.

Simply comparing saying I hate you to a person to saying it in relation to various foods, I don't know would really teach Leo the lesson either. As part of a conversation with a bit more substance maybe, but not by itself. A good idea for a picture book, just not that well executed.

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Kids @ Teens Read Too, October 10, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Day Leo Said I Hate You! (Hardcover)

Leo is so tired of Mommy's NOs that he retreats to his room just to be in a no NO zone. He quickly finds that there's no such thing when Mommy walks in and tosses yet another NO Leo's way. This is when Leo decides to throw his own verbal weapon at Mommy.

This is a book all kids can relate to, as it puts anger, temper, fear, and doubt on display. Facing off with overwhelming emotion can be a challenge, and it's comforting for kids to know that others find the struggle just as difficult.

The illustrations, which blend paper cutouts and photographs, are just as kid-friendly as the text. They include lots of movement and color to liven things up. Simple line meets rich texture on each page and words are uniquely highlighted throughout the book.

This is a book that will stay on my shelf for a lot of re-reading and enjoyment.

Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince