Member Reviews
What a precious story! My two boys liked it so much, we read it a second time right away! I love when that happens, because that means they loved it too. The message in this story is ask before you touch, hug, hold hands, etc. And I think this story really hit that message, as it's something we really stress at the preschool age. The bright colors, and vibrant illustrations were also equally a joy to look at. And I really appreciated the questions for discussion at the end. We've started homeschooling this week, so that was a wonderful surprise to have at our fingertips.
From the cover, you are immediately drawn to the brilliant use of colour and illustrations! Even before turning the pages. I am enthralled and want to read more.
Bobo can't sleep and wants a comfy pillow to rest with. Weaving his way through the sleeping jungle, Bobo decides to borrow items from the animals, a feather from the parrot, fur from the squirrel but these animals are not happy to share and squawk, bite and stink Bobo away.
When Elsie the elephant tries to do the same to Bobo, a valuable lesson is learned. If you want to touch something or someone, you must ask and not just grab.
Bobo is sent home to his mum where he finds the best cuddly spot of all- after he asks of course.
A wonderful book, perfect for sharing with little ones who grab and need to learn to ask nicely, It also makes for the perfect bedtime read- find a cosy spot, snuggle down and enjoy the antics of Bobo.
A wonderful story to read out loud at bedtime. Great messages about consent and also a sweet story about not being able to sleep. Read it out loud to my nieces age 2 and 7, the latter of whom said it was “GREAT! And amazing!”
Bobo is a baby orangutan who can’t sleep one night, he wanders the forest looking for something warm and cozy for a pillow. He touches every animal he sees to see how cozy they are even when they do not want to be touched. Finally he comes across a baby elephant who also can’t sleep because he needs a pillow and decides Bobo is soft and velvety. The elephant plays with Bobo until the elephants mother tells her not to touch Bobo without his permission. Then Bobo goes and finds the perfect pillow.
This is a sweet book with a good story and also a good lesson for children on boundaries. The art work is full of rich, vibrant colors and was a joy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and QEB Publishing for the opportunity to read this book for a fair and honest review. #OhNoBobo, #NetGalley
Oh No, Bobo! Is a cute book made for children that teaches gentle consent. Lovely book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this book was great! I absolutely loved the illustrations. The story was important, it teaches the idea of asking and respecting someone's answer. Also, the idea of "yes" and "no". To have this concept in a kids book is very important. It could be used in a classroom in multiple ways, and the next steps section at the back is extremely useful. The problem was relatable and easy to understand-young children face issues like that constantly. I think the lesson was well explained, as was the apology and the reasoning. In the end, him returning to his mother is very sweet, the idea of returning and asking for something. I enjoyed the adult presence in the book as well and the reactions of the animals were funny! Great read, can easily be incorporated into the classroom.
I loved the vibrant illustrations and aim to impart the lesson of respecting boundaries and consent in 'Oh No, Bobo!' Overall it is an entertaining story that shows consequences for not respecting physical boundaries. This book will spark straightforward discussion with young children about what kind of behavior and touching is acceptable. This book is best for young readers, age 2-4.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this ARC.
This is a sweet bedtime story about a an orangutan named Bobo. He just can’t fall asleep and goes all throughout the jungle fine trying to find the best pillow to help him fall asleep. But he gets himself into a lot of trouble throughout the way. Until he finds that he has been making several mistakes and angering other animals in the jungle. This is a good book to talk about asking others before doing something and how to be courteous of others.
A stunning book with a very important message embedded in the storyline. So clever on so many levels. I really enjoyed this one.
This is a wonderful book for any child. The illustrations are bold bright and beautiful. I love that at the end of the book there’s a next steps section that helps children to discuss and comprehend what I just read. This book would make a great addition to any child’s bookshelf.
Bobo the monkey is looking for a pillow. He tries using other animals to rest his head, but they don’t like it and let him know! It’s not until an elephant tries to use Bobo for a pillow that he realizes it’s no fun to be grabbed and laid on. Sometimes children don’t think to ask permission before touching another person, whether it’s to feel his or her hair, pull on an ear, or perhaps poke a freckle. Oh No, Bobo! can serve as a good jumping-off point for a discussion of personal space. It could help children understand that actions they might see as harmless can actually hurt or bother their friends. The “Next Steps” page at the end gives good ideas for expanding on the issues addressed in this book.
I know it all came together in the end, but I was uncomfortable reading this book. Bobo kept touching the animals when they asked him to stop and I know he learned his lesson in the end, but this book just missed the mark for me.
This book is supposed to teach about the concept of consent (which is good), but the actual message that's conveyed is a bit muddled (which is not so good).
Bobo the orangutan wants a pillow so he can sleep. So he moves through the jungle, touching various animals. Each animal tells Bobo not to touch, but Bobo ignores them and pulls out feathers or fur with which to build his pillow (which results in understandable retaliation from the various creatures). Eventually, he encounters some elephants, and one of them uses him as a pillow! He learns that it's important to ask for permission before touching someone else, and he goes home to his mother to ask for a hug.
While a message about consent is okay, it's confusing here. Bobo doesn't listen to any of the animals when they tell him to stop touching. So the message to ask for permission doesn't seem like quite enough. It wasn't that he wasn't asking permission... it was that he wasn't respecting the other animals' wishes when they told him to stop. (If he had asked permission and the animals had said no, I got the feeling that he would've just touched them anyway.)
With a muddled message like this, I'd be hesitant to recommend it to kids. Adults will need to clarify the message. You need to ask permission and respect the answer if it's no.
There's a small section at the back for adults which seems a bit insulting. I'm sure educators don't need to be told how to teach kids to build a simple paper-bag puppet. More often than not, I find these parent/teacher notes at the end to be a waste of space.
Bobo can't sleep. He can't get comfortable so he thinks if he goes thru the jungle he may find something soft to lay his tender sweet head. Along the way, he meets different jungle animals and forcing his way so he can lay his head on them. As you can imagine, this does not play out in a good way for Bobo but it has humor reading it with your kiddos. There is some valuable lessons learned when Bobo cannot find anywhere in the jungle that is comfortable. It is only when he comes home to his Mama that he finds more than he could ever want.
Such a sweet book and I get you will get a giggle reading it! Highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to Quartro Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
Wow! What a beautifully illustrated book! I can see how this will keep my child's attention from the bright colors to the fun and unique animals. I really liked the premise of this book.
The repetition of each animal saying "Oh No, Bobo!" when they realized Bobo was about to touch them and they didn't want to was great. Repetition is a great tool for memorizing new things.
I also thought it was smart to use animals instead of people for this lesson. While people may also "lash" out or hit or bite when they are touched without being asked or in a manner they dislike, it's somewhat easier to explain this behavior in animals. Especially considering while I'm trying to teach my toddler to ask permission before touching someone/something, I'm also trying to teach him not to hit or do bodily harm to others.
At the end of the story, Bobo gets a taste of their own medicine when Elsie the Elephant decides Bobo would make a great pillow and doesn't ask before she touches Bobo. I appreciate the way Elsie's dad is depicted as stepping in to remedy the situation while at the same time, allowing Elsie the space to apologize and try to make amends situation with Bobo.
Finally, Bobo returns home and realizes that the perfect pillow/place to sleep is in his home with his family, BUT he remembers to ask his mother's permission before cuddling with her.
Aside from teaching children to respect personal space and boundaries, I think this can also be a great tool to start introducing awareness that others are not supposed to touch you without permission as well. I can see that this could be a good stepping stone into conversations about inappropriate touching and convey to your child that they need to tell you about anything that makes them uncomfortable.
Great resource!
Thanks NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for a free copy of his book in return for an honest review. I really liked this book! The illustrations were super, great color and definition and the story really allows parents ample opportunities to review Bobo's behavior. Do we know where it is heading? Sure, but it is a book that is aimed at a very young audience and I am certain they will really love this book. The story was good and it took a neat twist with Elsie the Elephant! Good effort and a good book for you to read to your younger children.
A colourful book with big message.The illustrations are beautIful.The topic of consent is very important and how it is handled in this book is commendable.Childhood is the best time when we should start addressing about this ,so we can have sensible adults in this regard.
An adorable book about trying to find the perfect pillow to sleep with. Take a journey through the jungle meeting cute animals and having silly things happen when Bobo tries to find something comfortable to sleep on. The illustrations are vibrant and the ending is sweet.
Well this was a very attractive book for the very young, but I'm quite sure there are better stories out there. Young Bobo can't get to sleep properly in his tree, so he goes off in search of things to help him sleep – only to pick on the most inappropriate animals to expect assistance from. The ending of the plot is obvious a mile off, but the fact the whole book is a metaphor for asking permission in a post-MeToo era kind of way was really not expected. So on one hand this wants to have the appearance of a calming lullaby and directional for getting kiddies to sleep, and on the other it's something to keep you awake for hours discussing permission and politeness when possibly crossing boundaries. Odd.
Bobo the Orang-Utan can't sleep, everything is uncomfortable. So he aproaches several animals ,seeking a pillow, but forgets to ask permisson to get so close and forgets about personal space. He learns the hard was when the little elephant does the same to him.
Very pretty illustrations in this book, beautiful colours and very sweet looking animals. The message is well put and I like how at the end of the book there is instructions to so projects.