Lucy’s Book Club
Bombaloo
by Rachael Vail
Summary
Sometimes Katie loses her temper and uses her feet and her fists instead of her words. She’s Bombaloo and being Bombaloo can be scary! Katie does not even feel like herself, the girl who is usually happy and as she describes it, “a good kid.”
With a little time to calm down and think about why she’s angry and with love from her mother, Katie is able to pull herself together, make amends, and move on.
How does Sometimes I’m Bombaloo support the emotional development of young children?
Having a tantrum or being really angry can be a scary thing. Children often lose a sense of the environment and people around them, feeling totally out of control. Many children can identify with Katie, a character whose honest portrayal of “Bombaloo” demonstrates that even though she lost control, she was still a good person and can get back to being herself.
Reading Sometimes I’m Bombaloo to a group of children: engaging and activating children throughout the story
This is a good read aloud story with bright pictures and short sentences. Children can easily relate to Katie’s dilemma – we all get angry; things happen that we can’t change and they make us mad. This is a great topic for discussion as all children have had similar experiences. Ask children what they think of Katie’s behavior? What else could she have done? They can also share their own experiences about feeling Bombaloo.
Activities to Use With Sometimes I’m Bombaloo
Make Bombaloo Tornadoes
Materials:
Empty plastic bottle (washed)
Water
Two drops of dish soap
Drop of red food coloring
Glitter (optional)
Mix all ingredients (fill bottle 2/3 with water). Secure top with glue or duct tape. Children can swirl and shake bottles to create their own Bombaloo tornadoes. Talk with them about how mixed up the things in the bottle are getting as they swirl and relate it to how it feels inside when a child feels Bombaloo. Let the water settle and then have another conversation with the children about how the tornado became calm again. What happened to make it calm? Are there other ways to make it calm as well?
I Use My Words
By Jaymie Gerard
Goodness, I am ANGRY,
It makes me want to shout,
And stomp and wear a mean face,
To let the anger out.
Instead I use my words to say,
What I am mad about!
Download a printable flyer with activity ideas.
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To purchase this book online for local Raleigh curbside pickup, go to:
Quail Ridge Books:
https://www.quailridgebooks.com/search/site/bombaloo
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https://readwithme.indielite.org/search/site/bombaloo