From Amazon
Most of the time Katie Honors is a good kid. But sometimes, when her baby brother has knocked over one too many of her beautiful castles, Katie becomes 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, a lot of parental understanding, and a silly episode with flying underwear to calm Bombaloo 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-winning author Rachel Vail's miniature version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Katie's rage is scary and reflected alarmingly well by illustrator Yumi Heo's collage, pencil, and paint illustrations, reminiscent of the art of Lane Smith, Giselle Potter, 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 those we may have hurt. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter
From Publishers Weekly
Emotions bubble over in this wise picture book about how a child deals with anger. Katie Honors is a self-described "really good kid," generally obedient, kind and conscientious. But occasionally her baby brother's penchant for wrecking her building-block castles sends Katie over the edge: "Sometimes I'm Bombaloo," she explains about her furious alter ego. "I show my teeth and make fierce noises.... I use my feet and my fists instead of my words.... I want to smash stuff." Obliged to "take some time for myself and think about it," Katie calms down and realizes, "I'm sorry and a little frightened." Vail (Over the Moon; the Friendship Ring series) speaks knowingly to both young children and parents, emphasizing love and patience. Her kid-friendly phrasing and language add immediacy and some humor to the proceedings. Much like Betsy Everitt's Mean Soup, this book's message that it's normal, if scary, to lose control sometimes is clear, and emphasized in a most satisfying way. Heo's (Father's Rubber Shoes) highly patterned mixed-media illustrations, alternately warm and perky, use vibrant backgrounds, blocks of color and carefully chosen images to depict Katie's emotional tornado. Memorable scenes include Katie seated against a stark black background during her time-out, and an up-close view of her in the throes of a Bombaloo moment. Ages 3-up.
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