Kiddie Korner: I Must Have Bobo by Eileen Rosenthal

I Must Have Bobo by Eileen Rosenthal

Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Date: January 25th, 2011

Hardcover: 40 pages

Ages: 3-6

When Willy woke up there was trouble. Where was Bobo? Willy needs Bobo. But, Earl the cat likes Bobo, too. A favorite toy is hard to share…even when it’s a sock monkey. With sparse text and a modern-nostalgic vibe, this retro-fun book about friends (sock monkeys) and frenemies (devious cats) is an ode to favorite toys everywhere. Oh, Earl! Leave Bobo alone.

Purchasing Information:

Amazon   |   Barnes & Noble   |   The Book Depository   |    Borders  |   Simon & Schuster

My Thoughts: 

First, I have to say that I love the colors used in this book. It's a simple cover but I like that the colors are not bright. I think that would appeal to children a little older. The illustrations are also very cute but simple. Most of the pictures do not have everything colored in. It looks like a pencil drawing someone could have drawn directly in the page. Some people may not like this but I think it brings more focus to the actual story, which again, might be more appealing for children around the age of 5-6. 

In this story a young boy searches for his Bobo, a toy monkey. Turns out his cat Earl has been taking him. The child tries to keep Bobo away from the cat but it doesn't seem to work. One thing I didn't like in this story was that the child seemed angry throughout the book. It's a very short story, but the child did most of the time complaining or being angry with the cat. I'm not sure how this would be a good lesson for a child. Many children have toys they hold onto but in this book the boy never shares or forgives the cat for taking the toy. I'd rather have seen the child accept sharing the toy by the end of the story. There is also no parent to step in and teach the child to stay calm or share.