Customer Reviews

Sometimes I'm Bombaloo

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think this is a psychologically adept book that strikes a good balance between message and entertainment. The young narrator talks about how she's generally a good person: "...I'm a really good kid. I smile a lot because usually I'm happy, and I give excellent hugs." She behaves even when her brother knocks over her blocks.

"But," she explains, "sometimes I'm Bombaloo." She shows her teeth, makes fierce noises and scrunches up her face." I use my feet and my fists instead of my words." She knows that later, after a time-out ("I have to go take some time for myself and think about it"), she'll calm down and apologize to her brother. But the book doesn't minimize the strength of the feelings: "But while I'm Bombaloo, I'm not sorry; I'm angry. I hate everybody and everything..."

The author shows a calm, factual empathy in her narrator's voice "And I'm sorry and a little frightened. It's scary, being Bombaloo. My mother knows that. She hugs me and helps me clean up...," and, after making up with her brother, "we build a new castle together." The book neither excuses nor judges Bombaloo-style anger. Instead, it shows the feelings that occur before, during, and after it, and offers parents and kids the hope of resolution. 29 pages, with excellent, evocative illustrations by Yumi Heo.

I think this is a psychologically adept book that strikes a good balance between message and entertainment. The young narrator talks about how she's generally a good person: "...I'm a really good kid. I smile a lot because usually I'm happy, and I give excellent hugs." She behaves even when her brother knocks over her blocks.

"But," she explains, "sometimes I'm Bombaloo." She shows her teeth, makes fierce noises and scrunches up her face." I use my feet and my fists instead of my words." She knows that later, after a time-out ("I have to go take some time for myself and think about it"), she'll calm down and apologize to her brother. But the book doesn't minimize the strength of the feelings: "But while I'm Bombaloo, I'm not sorry; I'm angry. I hate everybody and everything..."

The author shows a calm, factual empathy in her narrator's voice "And I'm sorry and a little frightened. It's scary, being Bombaloo. My mother knows that. She hugs me and helps me clean up...," and, after making up with her brother, "we build a new castle together." The book neither excuses nor judges Bombaloo-style anger. Instead, it shows the feelings that occur before, during, and after it, and offers parents and kids the hope of resolution. 29 pages, with excellent, evocative illustrations by Yumi Heo.

My 2-1/2 year old daughter loves this book. It gave us a way to talk about out-of-control emotions. Now when she gets mad, I can ask her, "Are you bombaloo?" The question focuses her attention -- and she either acknowledges that she's mad or she shifts her mood, and says "I'm not bombaloo!" and laughs. The book has wonderful illlustrations. The writer communicates in a direct way that young children can understand.

We found this book at the library not knowing what it was about, but I was drawn to the pictures and short text and of course the silly word "Bombaloo". Reading it the first time was like a breakthrough in helping me discuss the feelings of being mad and out of control with my 3 yr old twin boys. They often fight with each other and "lose it" over the silliest of things.

The story is about a little girl who is usually happy and tolerates her little brother's interference with her play. However, sometimes she gets REALLY mad at him and turns into "Bombaloo". Bombaloo does mean things and yells and expresses her anger by trashing her room (where she has been previously sent). Eventually, the tantrum settles down and "Katie" is allowed to come out, after which her mother acknowledges her feelings of anger. And to finish with a happy ending, she works together with her toddler-age brother to build a castle together. (HA!)

Short of a video camera, this book is great for "showing" the play by play events of a tantrum to children. It is perfect for the sibling relationship. And I love the fact that while the mother does understand that Katie is angry, she still gives a "time out" (although the book realistically depicts what usually happens during the cool down time). My guys are a little scared of the "monster" faces that introduce Bombaloo, but they love to go back to different pages and review and verbally reenact the pictures. I highly recommend it for tantrum prone siblings especially, but also for any child who likes to talk about pictures in books as a means of understanding a situation.

(review by Bob Smith's wife, Kathy)

THis book is about a sweet little girl who sometimes gets angry and then turns into bombaloo, who screams, hits, kicks, and gets sent to her room. And it's scary being bombaloo, she doesn't like how it feels, But then she calms down and is better.

I have several books about anger and dealing with emotions, actually. BUt this one is my daughter's favorite and mine too.

So I made her this bombaloo pillow. Now, I'm not a great sewer or artist, but basically I took her to the store and she picked out a happy fabric and an angry fabric. I then cut out a face w/arms and simple hands coming out the sides (kinda like where ears go). I then matched and cut out the same in the other fabric. I used buttons and ribbon to sew on faces - a happy face and angry face. Then sewed them together and stuffed it.

That's her bombaloo pillow. So when she's angry, she can punch it, bite it, throw it, etc. And then it has the happy side that she can put on her bed, cuddle up to, etc. She calls it her Bombaloo pillow and remembers the book when she sees it. PLus just the activity of making a pillow to go with the book was really great for helping her to remember what she learned in the story.

Kids need to know how to deal with scary emotions, like anger and fear. When they get angry, they want to strike out. Unfortunately, most parents don't want them to hit, scream, yell, punch, bite, etc. So the first step is helping them recognize when they are angry, then teaching them that the feeling is normal, and then teaching them how to express it "appropriately", and lastly, teaching them how to calm themselves. This book addresses many of those steps in a very visual, concrete way.

Reading this book to my 4-year old daughter instantly resonated with both of us. We pick it up now whenever we need to reflect on a hard day. I highly recommend this title.

It's true that being angry can be scary. However, I think the illustrations in this book go a little overboard. They are too much for my sensitive children (ages 5 & 2). Think Medusa with swirl eyes. I'm really disappointed. If you're looking for a more gentle book about angry feelings, try "Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild."

I just must second, third or fourteenth all of the glowing reviews of this book. My 3 1/2 year-olds love it, one of them actually telling me it is his favorite book. It is so nice to see a book that identifies an emotion that we all find hard to deal with, no matter how old we are. And the Mom at the end of the book was a good example to me on how to deal with my children when they've gone "bombaloo". This is a keeper!

It's fun, and does highlight that tantrums don't help anything. But I don't like the fact that it makes tantrums seem normal and somewhat acceptable. We are more old-school in raising our kids.

I read this book over and over to our 5 year old. This is the second copy we have owned. It helps her to talk about angry feelings.