Amazon.com

Most of the time Katie Honors is a good kid. But sometimes, when herbaby brother has knocked over one too many of her beautiful castles, Katiebecomes Bombaloo. She uses her fists and feet instead of her words. Her toys"end up all over the floor--and so does my brother." It takes some alone time, alot of parental understanding, and a silly episode with flying underwear to calmBombaloo down again and return her to her happy Katie Honors state.

There aren't too many kids who won't be able to relate to award-winningauthor Rachel Vail's miniature version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Katie's rageis scary and reflected alarmingly well by illustrator Yumi Heo's collage,pencil, and paint illustrations, reminiscent of the art of Lane Smith, GisellePotter, and Maira Kalman. The message is clear: sometimes we get angry--really,really angry--but it's important to calm down eventually and make it up to thosewe may have hurt. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Because We All Get BOMBALOO
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.

Highly recommend
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.

Because We All Get BOMBALOO
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.

Instant Calm
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.

Does your preschooler get *A*N*G*R*Y*?
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. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Why do the tiny monkeys insist on sleeping amongst thorns?
The Rio Negro (Black River) is the second biggest river in Brazil, taking its name from its dark waters. In trees along the banks of the Rio Negro live tiny monkeys, which are called "blackmouths" by the local tribes. The reason for this is that their mouths are as dark as the waters of the river. These tiny monkeys live in tall palm tree that are full of sharp thorns and although the thorns are uncomfortable the monkeys sleep on top of them each night. If this seems somewhat strange to you this seems no less strange to the natives, who made up an amusing story to explain why the monkeys do this.

"So Say the Little Monkeys" is Nancy Van Laan's version of the tale told in the Brazilian rain forests about the blackmouth monkeys. Illustrated by Yumi Heo, this is a read-aloud book where children 3-7 will have fun with the constant refrain: "Jump, jabba jabba, run, jabba jabba, munch, jabba jabba, tiny, tiny monkeys having fun." Of course the jump/run/munch part changes depending on what the tiny monkeys are doing, so children too young to read will still be able to anticipate how the refrain will be different the next time around depending on what the little monkeys have been doing.

In "So Say the Little Monkeys" the tiny monkeys actually think about building themselves a shelter so they can have shelter from the rain (plinka plinka), the wind (wooya wooya), and the jaguar (gurr-yuh gurr-yuh), but it seems they always get distracted by something a lot more fun. Will young children who are listening to or reading this story figure out that maybe they have a lot in common with tiny monkeys? Maybe not. But they still should be able to appreciate the lesson of this story, namely that you should not put off for tomorrow something that you can do today.

the RHYTHM is makes the book fun for young and old
This book that is great to give to new families starting out their library. The rythm of this story makes it so fun to read and for the kids to listen to- over and over and over again. Its simple enough for the youngest child to have fun with and fill in the fun sounds, or a life lesson in getting, or not getting, your work done for older kids.

Wonderful!
My 7 month old loves this book. His face lights up when he hears the rain "plinka, plinka" and the wind "Wooya, Wooya". He also loves the pictures. I know this will always be one of his favorites.

A Fun Read
Both my three year old daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's rhyming verse is fun to read and the pictures are captivating. The actual story of how the carefree monkeys avoid making their night-time nests is light-hearted and amusing. My daughter and I borrowed this entertaining book from our local library. We liked it so well that I intend to buy it for her collection of favorites.

My boys love this book!
Never mind the review that says this for age 3+. My 14 month old won't go to bed until we've read this at least three times. He's barely talking but he picks up the books and says "Whee!" And his older brother (age 4) chimes in with the "Jibba Jibba Jabba" every time! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Enchanting!
Enhancing illustrations and informative text. A delight for children and adults alike. Covers cultural aspects across all of Asia. Starts with the letter A for Asia (half of the human race) and ends with Z for zen (unity). ... Read more

Book Description

Two green frogs love disobeying their mother. They always do the opposite of whatever she tells them to do—they stay in bed when she wakes them, they make a mess when she asks them to clean. They"re so contrary, they even croak backwards! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

They should have listened to their mother.
I love the playfulness of Yumi Heo's illustrations. They are cool and bursting with life. This folktale explains why naughty Korean children are called chung-gaeguri or green frogs. Karen Woodworth-Roman ... Read more

Book Description

Lily won't stop crying.
Waa! Waa! Waa!
Lily won't stop crying.
Oh, who knows what to do?
Mother? Father? Grandma?
Who?
Who?
Who? ... Read more

Book Description

Jenny's baby brother Henry is having his one-month birthday -- his first-moon, as it's called in Chinese. And even though Jenny's sure he doesn't deserve it -- all Henry does is sleep, eat, and cry -- there's a big celebration planned for him. Together, Jenny and her grandma get everything ready, from dyeing eggs a lucky red to preparing pigs' feet and ginger soup. And someday, when Henry's old enough to appreciate all her hard work, Jenny will tell him how lucky he was to have her in charge.

The childlike charm of Lenore Look's story is perfectly captured in Yumi Heo's naïve illustrations, which give readers the impression that Jenny drew them herself. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

more info please, and clearly
This is a book about a first moon birthday, which is a chinese/ korean celebration of a one month birthday. I am interested in seeing stories about cultures other than my own. However, I found that this book was all over the place. In one sentence they would be talking about a tradition or meal, next sentence a complete 180, talking about a completely different topic. There are a lot of analogies in this book, and unusual sentences. This is probably a really sweet book for those you can relate to it, first hand. I do not know much about Chinese/Korean traditions. Sentence Example from book, about grandma making dinner,"Her fingernails scrape off the warts on the wood fungus." I needed a little more explanation of what that means, and so did my 6 year old. She wondered why they were cooking warts, wood, and fungus for a special occasion dinner. I liked the book's theme. I love to see books that bridge the gap and help understand other cultures and traditions.

A real winner!
"Henry's First-Moon Birthday" truly captures a an older sister's enthusiasm in helping her family prepare for her brother's 1-month birthday. Though the customs and the family are very Chinese, the emotions in this book are universal. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Child's Struggle & Father's Comfort
This is a story about Yungsu, a young Korean boy who is having difficlty adjusting to his new home in America. Yungsu misses his friends back in Korea. His father is busy with his new job a running a store. Yungsu's father attempts to console Yungsu by sharing about his own childhood. Yungsu's father tells about how when he was young he was given a special gift of rubber shoes. Yungsu's father hopes that the story will convey to Yungsgu how his father want to give Yungsu a special gift also. Yungsu's mother attempts to comfort Yungsu also. She makes him his favorite Korean dish. Yungsu meets a boy from school as he heads toward his father's store. He shares his favorite dish with his friend. A friendship blossoms, and Yungsu begins to feel at home. This is an insightful story about a boy who struggles against homesickness, and the difficulty in forming new friends. The illustrations are a combination of paint, pencil, and collage. The story and illustrations convey to the reader the feelings that Yungsu had of distraught and loss, to that of hope and a sense of belonging. A wonderful book about hope and and a parents nuturing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"What pet can I get? What pet can I get? What pet can I get? What pet can I get?" demands the young boy in this quirky, extraordinary, wildly artistic picture book. And indeed, it is hard to choose given this fantastic menagerie of "Kissing pets/Hissing pets/Even tail-missing pets" and "Round pets/Crowned pets/Coiling-around pets."

Author Melrose Cooper, who has said that guinea pigs look like "little meat loaves with eyes," concocts delightful, childlike rhymes that collide exquisitely with artist Yumi Heo's fabulously madcap, folk-art-style illustrations. Heo, illustrator of The Rabbit's Judgment and The Rabbit's Escape, creates funny, boldly colorful, flat, dynamic paintings that are akin to the work of New Yorker artist Roz Chast, Lane Smith, and Maira Kalman. Comparisons aside, however, Pets! stands on its own four feet as a uniquely endearing, offbeat tribute to animals of all shapes and sizes, and to the children (and adults) who want them all. (All ages) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fan maker Yoshi loves the delectable smell of the eels broiled by his fishmonger neighbor, Sabu. But he also loves the sound of the coins jingling in his money box, and so he never actually buys the eels, content just to smell them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Struggling to make a living selling his eels, Sabu is furious with Yoshi for his stubbornness, and demands payment for all the eels Yoshi has sniffed. Yoshi retaliates by performing a wild coin-rattling dance in the street: "chin chin jara jara... chin jara jara...." When he finishes, he tells Sabu, "You have charged me for the smell of your eels, and I have paid you with the sound of my money." Is there any hope of reconciliation for these feuding neighbors?

Adapted from the Japanese folktale "Smells and Jingles," this hilarious story shows that in business--and in life--you usually get what you pay for. Compromise often ends up being the most satisfying arrangement all around. Yumi Heo's oil, pencil, and collage illustrations are the real treasure. Readers of all ages will pore over the rich golds, greens, and reds, returning to the story again and again to savor this feast for their eyes. (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Yummy Story
Yoshi feasts on the smells from his neighbor's broiled eel stall, but he is too tightfisted to buy any of them. As he learns generosity of heart, he gains a friend. Kimiko Kajikawa adapted Yoshi's Feast "from a story, 'Smells and Jingles,' in William Elliot Griffis's Japanese Fairy World: Stories from the Wonder-lore of Japan (J.H. Barhyte, 1880)." Yumi Heo's illustrations are as wild, detailed, and yummy as usual. Karen Woodworth-Roman

Great story, beautifully illustrated
My 5-year-old daughter loves this book. The story is apparently based on a Japanese classic. It should be especially appealing for anyone who likes unagi (eel).

Another DK Ink Masterpiece!
This book is a must buy! Perfect for reading aloud. I can't wait to share this with my second graders next year! I purchased an autographed copy at my local Borders tonite and couldn't wait to get on here and "plug" this picturebook! Reminding me a bit of Demi's picturebooks (ie., The Empty Pot), this book has more! The onomatopoeia throughout the lively text really lends itself to reading aloud! The illustrations work very well with the text! Another Melanie Kroupa masterpiece! (see Steamboat, The Big Cheese)Outstanding literature! Even the author's bio on the dust jacket flap is interesting!

Absolutely beautiful and fun book!
My 2 1/2 year old daughter is part Japanese and I love it when I can find a beautifully illustrated book about that country and its customs. This book is funny as well as a feast for the eyes. She really loves the "sounds" that the coins make and the funny folk tale. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What an awesome book
I read this book to my class of third graders. This is a trickster-tale, of sorts, from Korea. The story is well stated and easy to understand and the illustrations are wonderful. Yumi Heo has a distinct style that is magical, primitive, and quirky. We loved it! And it was a definite bonus to have the Korean text too. Even if we couldn't read it- it set the story in a cultural context. What a little gem!

one smart bunny
I stumbled upon this book at a local library and as my in-laws are Korean-American I bought it for one of my nieces. I think my sister-in-law liked it more than her daughter. My mother-in-law didn't recall this tale exactly, but said that stories of wise animals are quite common in Korea. The pictures are a little too primative for my taste, but I liked the story and the fact that it was bi-lingual, which is nearly impossible to find in any language, nevermind in Korean/English. The layout is nice with Korean on one side, English on the other. I bought another copy for a friend that just adopted a little Korean girl and for my own daughter. I've never been able to find anything else like it (except for the other book that Ms Han wrote also involving wise animals). ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Not-So Itsy Bitsy Spider
Very cute pop-up book & amazing illustrations. Extremely colorful & attention grabbing. Another great children's book by Dawn Bentley!

The Not So Itsy-Bitsy Spider
This is a bright, rhyming delight of a book with a variety of special effects. The bugs are preparing for a party and they don't want the spider to know! ... Read more

Book Description

With heartwarming illustrations and fun rhymes, this alphabet book is perfect for grandchildren and grandparents alike!

Visiting grandparents is always an adventure, whether rooting through drawers, playing pretend, or relaxing and reading together in a comfortable chair. Join two boisterous siblings as they leave home to be guests on their grandparents' farm during different seasons of the year. Providing fun rhymes like "the songs we sing while we sit on the swing," and "an oak tree to climb one limb at a time," both adults and children will have fun singing and reading along together, as they learn the alphabet!

Yumi Heo's whimsical illustrations provide the perfect complement to the rhythm of Ona Gritz's jubilant ABC text. Grandchildren of all ages will recognize themselves in this book's appreciative look at the warmth and happiness that grandparents provide. ... Read more