Thanks to Netgalley for an eARC copy of this book in return for my honest review.


Ben Miller has done it again. I thoroughly enjoyed is book, the story line was unique and the moral of the story was very wholesome. I will be recommending it to my children to help them understand their emotions a bit better.

Harrison has some angry issues when things don’t go his way, he is given a black hole and promptly puts all the things he doesn’t like or that scare him into, then he accidentally puts his parents in. He soon realises that throwing a tantrum doesn’t alway get you what you want and somethings it’s best to communicate in a different way.

Suffice to say, Harrison learns his lesson and is thrilled when the world is right again.

Lovely story.

Harrison is generally a good boy; however, he has a temper that erupts during a birthday party which doesn't go down well with the party entertainer who gives him a rather unusual balloon which is, in fact, a black hole!
At first, this seems wonderful as Harrison is easily able to get rid of unwanted veg from his dinner plate and exercise books and tests at school; however, what happens when a neighbour's dog and one of his classmates also disappear?
A mix of science and magic come together in this great novel. Harrison undoubtedly behaves in the same way most of us would to begin with and is a very relatable character, the plot is pacey and the end is particularly gripping.

Oh my goodness me. I LOVED this story! It is a child-friendly romp through space but with an all important message for children everywhere…

Ben Miller’s own children are the stars of the show – how cool is that? The main star is Harrison who absolutely loves anything to do with space. Like most 8 year olds though, he finds it hard to control his temper, even though he realises that actually, his anger tends to show itself when he is anxious or worried about something.

At the start of this story, Harrison is going to Hector Broom’s birthday party. He is not looking forward to it. Hector is a bully who takes great delight in pinging Harrison with his ever-present elastic band. But like 8 year olds everywhere, the thought of missing out is even greater because his whole class is going to be there. Poor Harrison does NOT have a good time. Despite learning about constellations and black holes in Hector Broom’s living room, he and the party entertainer, Shelley, do not hit it off and things go from bad to worse. He does get a special balloon to take home however. A VERY special balloon indeed…

Harrison finds out very quickly that his balloon has very strange powers. I’m not going to spoil it by saying exactly in what way, but what initially seems fabulous and incredibly helpful to Harrison, soon takes an ominous turn and things quickly get out of control. To sort things out, Harrison knows that Shelley is the only one who can help him. But Shelley isn’t home. How can 8 year old Harrison get to Chile to meet her at the The Very Large Telescope (VLT) in the Atacama Desert? Nothing is impossible when you have an enterprising older brother…

A wonderfully engaging, timeless story that is sure to engage children everywhere. I loved it!

‘…anger can be good, important even… But it’s about what you do with your anger…’

Page count: 272
Age group: 8 years +

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book both as ebook, and as an audiobook. And both were great. The audio has been narrated by Ben Miller himself, who is a great actor and so (obviously) does a wonderful job. The actual book is beautifully produced, with decorated pages and stunning illustrations.

The story follows Harrison, who is just a normal kid. On a birthday party he gets a black hole on a string, in which he can make things disappear. He has anger management issues, and finds throwing things that frustrate him (such as broccoli and the pool) into the hole is a great way to get rid of them. But obviously it goes wrong...

The story is quite science based, but in a very easy and accessible way. The writing is fun with some great humour in it. The pacing is spot on, and overall it is a very quick read. Harrison is a normal, likable kid. He is easy to relate to. Something small that I really liked is that he is lactose intolerant. The fact that he can't have cake at the birthday party is just a small detail, but something I feel can mean a lot to kids who struggle with the same problem. There are also some great messages in this, maybe a bit too in your face by the end but overall subtly handled. 

I had a really good time with this, and highly recommend it. It is definitely aimed at kids and might not translate well to a lot of adults. But if you do tend to like middle grade books, this is a really fun one.

Thanks to Netgalley for this free copy in exchange for a. Honest review.
An enjoyable book concerning anger management for young people aged 7-13. This story was realistic in its coverage of childhood anger frustration and working. It honestly approaches the feeling and difficulties confronting Harrison who feels bullied and harassed , at a party, and how his life unravels when he is given a black hole balloon. Things go very wrong, and he has to self-regulate his anger in order to solve this enormous problem.
This would be a thought provoking book for young scientists, astronomers and young people who have childhood anger management difficulties.

I have been unable to read the copy sent via Netgalley. I am unsure if it is a formatting issue but it starts on a random page then goes to the epilogue and subsequently blank pages thereafter. All of this is also round the wrong way on the screen. I will hopefully be purchasing my own copy soon so will review on goodreads once this has been done. I have marked as middle of the road 3 stars as I cannot send feedback without this, but this does not reflect the story in anyway.

I couldn’t read the ARC that Netgalley sent me, so I bought my own copy. I enjoyed Ben Miller’s Christmas story last year, so was keen to read this one too. It has lovely illustrations and a clear message for young readers. It was fast paced and exciting. I am a teacher and know that my pupils would absolutely love this. I look forward to the next book by this author.

I am so glad I was approved to read this book. I enjoyed The Night I met Father Christmas and was looking forward to this book.

We meet Harrison who has trouble keeping his emotions in check, resulting in what his parent call Code Red. Harrison hates this and it increases his anger. Normally he gets angry and has outbursts when he is feeling really worried about something. I’m many cases Harrison is worried about Hector and his elastic band, Hector is a big bully.

All the fun begins at Hector’s birthday party when Harrison is handed a black balloon. Shelley, the childrens entertainer gives Harrison this special one due to his poor behaviour at the party. When he figures out what the balloon actually is, Harrison thinks this might solve some of his problems. The balloon is a black hole and Harrison can throw his unwanted vegetables, an old teddy and geography books through never to be seen again.

Problems truly arise when people start disappearing, alongside a dog and a house. Feeling desperate, Harrison seeks Shelley and learns of a scientific principle and there is a mystery wrapped up and Harrison needs to follow a specific set of instructions to get his family back!

Heart warming, funny and thought provoking, this is a great book. It is Full of twists and turns, rich in scientific language and great for learning how to control anger.

I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations were gorgeous. The lead character learned about the repercussions of his actions in a gentle but firm way that I think would appeal to children. I wish this had been around when my kids were younger as I think they would have learned from this book. Recommended before the pre-teen years hit. It nicely bridges the gap between the toddler/pre-school books about emotions and the older tween books about the same topics.