Sometimes I'm Bombaloo

December 24, 2001
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.

March 1, 2002
PreS-Gr 1-Anger is the subject of this wonderfully illustrated and beautifully designed picture book. Katie Honors is a good kid, who gives excellent hugs and remembers to use her napkin. But sometimes she's Bombaloo, and uses her feet and fists instead of words. "It's scary, being Bombaloo," she says, "My mother knows that. She hugs me and helps me clean up the mess Bombaloo made, and then after some sorries and kisses for my brother, we build a new castle together." Heo's bright paintings are quirky and immediate, and show a Bombaloo world that's slightly askew. Constantly changing perspective, color, and typeface project Katie's roller coaster of emotions. The subject and age of the character in this title bear a very close resemblance to those in Molly Bang's When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry- (Scholastic, 1999), yet they are different enough in voice and mode of resolution that most collections will want both.-Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2002
Ages 3-7. Vail gets right inside a kid's psyche, and Heo's inventive artwork catches the kaleidoscope of emotions found there in a book that is both realistic and funny. Katie Honors is a self-proclaimed good kid who follows house rules and, most of the time, restrains herself from fighting with her brother. But sometimes she can't hold her anger in: she's "bombaloo." She bares her teeth and stamps her feet. Her brother doesn't fare well. She's sent to her room until she can control her temper; but with true honesty, Katie remarks that when she's bombaloo, she's not sorry: "I'm angry. I hate everybody and everything." She's so angry that she flings the clothes out of her drawers, her underpants land on her head, she laughs, and "when I laugh I'm Katie Honors again." Vail captures the intensity of emotion that children (and many adults) feel when they are angry, and then distills it with laughter. Heo uses lots of stripes and splotches of color to match Katie's emotions, and her pictures are best when focusing on Katie's face. With simple lines Heo shows not only Katie's anger but also her remorse and her fear of being out of control. Kudos to Vail and Heo for making a scary subject manageable.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)