Pom Pom is finally available to read. Who is he? He’s the monkey who came to live with us several years ago. He is messy, unpredictable, self-centred, energetic, resourceful, over-confident and has an idiosyncratic way of wrestling with the English language. His arch enemy is a Teddy Bear, against whom he wages an unceasing and increasingly bitter war.
Over the years I have come to be very fond of him and his antics. He was brought to life by Lynelle O’Flaherty, an Australian artist and illustrator. It took her quite a while to produce the portrait because he wouldn’t sit still. The second book is about to be published and I am halfway through the third. As Pom Pom himself would say, he is the gift that keeps on giving.
Pom Pom’s very most favourite things
Bananas, Climbing, Exploring, Bananas, Demonstrating his extreme cleverness, Swimming, Ice Skating, Bananas.
Pom Pom’s very most least favourite things
Teddy, Going to bed, Running out of bananas, The word No, Not winning at everything, Waiting in line, People who don’t understand his extreme cleverness.
Obsolete Vernacular 
Just added this and Jasmine Moves In to my Amazon cart. My boys have finally developed the patience for books with stories instead of endless pictures of sharks. 🙂
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Pom Pom sounds great, and suspiciously like my eldest at age 4. 😀
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As a mother of four boys, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there. I see him in my mind as a highly-intelligent and capable preschooler, with the same self-belief and feeling of being the centre of the entire universe. But also with a deep love for his family and friends and no desire to hurt anyone.
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Thanks, Kay! Jasmine Moves In is for eight to ten year olds, possibly younger if you’re doing the reading. More girls than boys tend to buy it. More boys than girls buy The Chocolate Star. TBH I think either can enjoy both. My son read both when he was about eight. But I thought I’d give you a heads up 🙂
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Thanks! I might get The Chocolate Star, too, if they like these. They’re 7 and 4, but I’ll be the one reading, and they love these “big kid” books. I’m trying to teach them the value of sitting still and listening for longer books. If they get goofy, we bookmark it and go to bed. So they are learning fast! lol
And I love to mix in these books targeted to girls. I think it’s so important for boys to get that perspective, and to learn to sympathize with female characters. If I had my way, it would be required reading for all boys. Maybe we wouldn’t have so much violence against women in the world.
I hope to have my oldest write a review when we’re finished.
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I wasn’t trying to sell you that one too, by the way, just to explain the usual way people choose them, in case it mattered. But as the mother of four boys, you’ll get no argument from me! Great attitude and I wish it was more generally shared. The child in Pom Pom the Great is my own son, for whom I wrote the series. I am about to start the fourth one and he is joined by a girl protaganist, based loosely on a girl I know who is funny, quirky and smart. I hope they enjoy the books. Catch them early and it’s a joy for life.
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Reblogged this on Obsolete Vernacular.
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