POM POM PANDA GETS THE GRUMPS
by Sophy Henn ; illustrated by Sophy Henn
Pom Pom Panda is having a bad day, so his friends attempt to cheer him up.
Following Where Bear? (2014), Henn crosses the pond once again with her second picture book. As soon as he wakes up, young Pom Pom’s day goes wrong. His favorite blanket is missing. His breakfast is soggy. His hair will not behave! At the school playground, different friends invite Pom Pom to join their games. He refuses them, one by one, until he explodes in anger and scares his friends away. Pom Pom soon realizes the error of his ways. He quickly apologizes and is forgiven just as quickly. Henn effortlessly portrays Pom Pom’s grumpiness and frustration in her illustrations. Young readers will gleefully follow his expressions, his black-and-white face popping boldly against the pastel hues of his friends and his surroundings. Preschoolers will empathize with Pom Pom’s bad day and his inability to articulate his feelings. While the book doesn’t approach how young children can handle these complex emotions, it offers a starting point for adults to discuss how to manage them.
Grumpy yet lovable Pom Pom Panda will help readers understand that bad days can happen for no reason at all.
(Picture book. 3-5)