BooksforTopics Reading for Pleasure Recommendations
This week marks the publication of Oh No, Bobo by Donna David and Laura Watkins, and today is our stop on the blog tour.
Read on for a review of Oh No, Bobo ! and then head over to author Donna’s guest booklist featuring 5 picture books introducing BIG topics to SMALL children.
Book Title: Oh no, Bobo! (available here)
Author: Donna David
Illustrator: Laura Watkins
Publisher: Quarto
Publication Date: April 2020
Review
Bobo is a fluffy young orangutan. One night he feels unsettled – ” His branch was too hard, the bark was too scratchy, and a knobbly bit was digging in his ear…” – No doubt many of us will know a similar feeling and be able to relate to Bobo. Unable to sleep, Bobo swings his way through the jungle and sets about on a mission to find a perfect pillow in a bid to solve his insomnia.
During his quest, Bobo encounters a host of jungle animals who he thinks might be able to help. Noticing their soft fur, comfy-looking feathers and silky-smooth tails, Bob helps himself by plucking and pulling, but fails to understand how he is making his friends upset in the process. It’s not until he gets a taste of his own medicine that Bobo realises that having your space invaded without permission doesn’t always feel very good.
Oh No, Bobo! is a gentle picture book that beings to explore the themes of consent, personal boundaries and asking permission. Consent is a complicated topic and this story is offering schools and parents a springboard into adult-led discussion to go deeper into the topic. We can clearly see how the animals feel when Bobo bounds in without a second thought and invades their personal space, taking their things without their permission. The illustrations – set in a vibrant palette of greens, oranges and purples – are both appealing and expressive, as the facial expressions and body language of the animals clearly convey their array of feelings in response to Bobo’s invasion of their personal space.
You can order Oh no, Bobo! online or from your local bookshop or library.
Guest Post
Click here to read Donna David’s guest booklist featuring 5 picture books exploring BIG topics for small children.
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You can order Oh no, Bobo! online or from your local bookshop or library.
Many thanks to the publishers at Quarto for sending us a review copy and to Donna for providing the guest post. Check out the other stops on the blog tour, too.
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Where next?
> Visit our Reading for Pleasure Hub
> Browse our Topic Booklists
> View our printable year group booklists.
> See our Books of the Month.
