Popcorn Bob, the anthropomorphic star of the eponymous chapter book series, here stars in his first picture book, where the cranky kernel passes along his wisdom about what to do when you just want to explode.
While everybody gets angry or annoyed at times, Bob tells readers, “nobody gets as furious as I do.” He will explode over big things, little things, and when he doesn’t even know why. He therefore sets out to understand how to stop exploding, and tries relaxation, breathwork, exercise, drawing his feelings, and talking with someone, among other tactics—all actual techniques that will be useful to readers, but shown amusingly through Bob’s antics and his interactions with his chosen family, a girl and her two dads.
The final message, that everyone still explodes now and then, but it’s okay, is a helpful reminder not to be too hard on ourselves. Bob ends the book having a treat with his family, who clearly still love him despite his occasional outburst.
The story’s lighthearted take on a serious topic should help readers eat up the messages about emotional regulation. A recommended title.
