Yes

by Jez Alborough

Book Overview

YES The cuddly hero of HUG and TALL is back Bobo's mother has no trouble getting her little chimp to take a bath. "Yes " he shouts. But when it's bedtime for Bobo, he responds with a definite "No." In this tale of two words, it takes some patient animal friends and plenty of splashing to alter one contrary little chimp's attitude. By popular demand, Jez Alborough brings back the beloved Bobo in a charming bedtime story for every preschooler who loves...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763631833
• ISBN13: 9780763631833
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 11.0" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 2 to 5 years

Customer Reviews

Great book for toddlers

Yikes! I don't want to make too big a deal out of it but some of the negative reviews on this title really have me shaking my head. First of all: Bobo's mommy does not leave him alone! She very clearly goes and hides behind a bush and watches him to be sure he's safe. Second: the notion that this book will teach a toddler to be negative is preposterous. Toddlers are going to experiment with boundaries as a natural part of their development and that includes negativity. It's comical (but also sad) to imagine parents who probably say "no" to their toddlers a dozen times a day worrying that this book will somehow exacerbate the situation. Our daughter loved this book from around 14 months through 20 months or so. The art is beautiful (as always with Jez Alborough) and the characters' faces are very expressive which afforded us plenty of opportunities to talk about what they were feeling. In our household we don't try to suppress negative emotions, rather we work on understanding them, communicating them respectfully, and channeling them into positive outlets. There is nothing whatsoever in Yes that's incompatible with these goals. All of the Bobo books are worth having. The art is beautiful and the stories are stripped down to their fundamental emotional elements which makes them ideal for toddlers. Hug and Tall are arguably better but Yes is still great. Highly recommended.

A Great Discovery for a Toddler

At 18-21 months my son was at the point where he wasn't able to figure out how to communicate his needs with other people using his words. He'd get frustrated and shove or bite because he couldn't find two very helpful words -- Yes and No. He was enthralled with the idea of understanding that Bobo the baby monkey could express himself using just those two words, and the storyline feeds off of a toddler's wish for some independence and freedom of choice. (I don't think the mother abandons Bobo, as written in a prior review. I think the illustrations clearly show her watching from behind some brush on the beach as Bobo plays with her friends. I think Mom was giving her child time to sort out her fit.) Anyway by 23 months, all the shoving and biting had ended. He now clearly knows yes and no. And when we read this book before bedtime, he knows it's time for bed. But he stills smirks when Bobo says "No!" to his mother. He identifies with that emotion. And I don't think expressing that kind of frustration is wrong or disrespectful.

First book on negotiation for your child

This is the second book by Jez Alborough that I bought in a near by bookstore in Brookline MA. The first time I read this book to my 1.8 years old, I thought "oh oh" because, like an earlier reviewer mentioned, Bobo monkey obviously said 'no' several times. Fast forward several weeks after having read this book to my child almost every night, it offers my child an option to say 'no' at times and allow us to enter into a productive (allow you to detect an objection before the child starts crying or being passive aggressive) negotiation. Being a toddler with limited means of communication is not easy. Knowing how to use 'no' as this book demonstrates will give a child a way to express objection. This book teaches a child to express and detect emotions (when friends are being playful or Bobo's mom is angry) that is important in a relationship.

A Wonderful Story

I purchased this book back in January and it quickly became the favorite of one of my students. It is a good one for demonstrating the daily tussles between parent and child, esp. when the child is tired and doesn't want to do what the parent knows the child needs to do (go to sleep). Books with no or little text are excellent avenues for exploring whatever is pertinent to the caregiver-child relationship. You can use whatever words the child needs to hear/learn. The use of simple words with reduplicated syllables (Bobo, the little chimp's name and Mama) allows even children with limited verbal abilities to participate orally. Jez Alborough's illustrations are vibrant, full of energy and humor.