Pom Pom Panda Gets the Grumps

by Sophy Henn

When Pom Pom Panda wakes up in a BAD mood one morning, nothing is right. And then things go from bad to worse.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Storytime, Friendship, Emotion, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2015

About the author

Sophy Henn (www.sophyhenn.com) lives and works in Sussex, England. She studied Fashion at Central Saint Martins, accidentally had a London based career as an Art Director in advertising, then completed an MA at University of Brighton in Illustration. Now she writes and illustrates children's books in her studio, with a large cup of tea by her side, and can't quite believe her luck. WHERE BEAR? is her first book. Follow @sophyhenn.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pom Pom Panda wakes up on the wrong side of the bed in this humorous but sympathetic picture-book examination of having a bad day, and things only get worse from there. Everything about his morning seems to go wrong, every little thing irritates him and makes his mood worse. Matters reach a crisis point on the playground at school, leading Pom Pom to yell at his friends, telling them to go away. But will he feel better if they do...?

British author/artist Sophy Henn ably captures the powerful emotions that often grip us, when we are young children, and depicts with sympathy how a bad mood can feed itself, using every minor irritation (real or imagined) to grow stronger. She also adeptly captures the reality that we often make our lot unhappier, by giving way to those feelings, and taking them out on our family and friends. Her simple but effective text is paired with cute, expressive illustrations that capture the emotional register of each scene. Recommended to all young children who have gotten the grumps themselves.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this one was a cute little story. I have seen those days the little ones wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Funny that it took Pom Pom's friends to pull him out of it. Fun art and story.

[Kim Grandizio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need every single copy of this book ever printed. So good.

[MeganRuth - Alohamora Open a Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good choice when talking about emotions. Pom Pom is grumpy. We all get grumpy. After lashing out, he realizes his mistake. It doesn't have a ton of depth with the emotions, but it'd be great for preschoolers who need introduction to emotions and social interactions.

Focus: Social interactions. Emotions.

[Orlando Guzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story any child can find relatable about understanding our feeling and how they may affect those around us.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tee hee, made me laugh but then I'm a sucker for grumpy protagonists. probably because i can relate to getting out of the wrong side of the bed (although I always get out the same side so I'm not sure how that works.) Anyway, Pom Pom Panda's glorious Harrumph is akin to Miss Piggy's Hiya' and, I imagine, said with equal amounts of gusto. I am especially fond of her cross expression, guaranteed to get most anyone out of a snit!

[Sara Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story.Of.My.Life.

Major grumpster. Loses temper. Feels guilt. Apologizes. Repeat.

Sigh.

Anyway, super adorable illustrations. Very simple storyline and text that toddlers and preschoolers could both enjoy. Shows a nice range of emotion (and the fun shouting, quiet reflection, etc that work so well in storytime).

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pom Pom Panda is my spirit animal. Delightful!

[Kelli Koeppen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pom Pom Panda wakes up on the wrong side of the bed but how will his day go?

This book fell flat for me. The plot line had so much potential and I know it would have been stereotypical for Pom Pom to be happy at the end, but the abrupt ending left me… unsatisfied. I was disappointed and hoping for more or for a lesson in how to turn the grumps upside down or something. Something for kiddos to think about and apply to themselves when they have the grumps.

I loved the illustrations and the colors used- visually popping, just wish the story line had matched the pictures in their power

[Mia Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pom Pom... oh I don’t know what to say about you. Not something I want my kid reading.. because the attitude is definitely that of a spoiled brat lol yes, I know it’s a kids book- however the ending with him getting grumpy again after he JUST apologized to his friends... where’s the moral? If things don’t go your way- to whine about it? Maybe if it had a more positive rating I would have rated it 3 stars.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! The little grumpy panda looks just like my 7 year old grandson and Aiden recognized it himself. Pom Pom stands around w/ his arms crossed and his frowny face, just like my grandson! We especially liked the parts where he would say "Harrumph", just like my grandson! We laughed and laughed as we read this book, and Aiden would always read the "Harrumph!". We give it 5 stars, but Aiden said he would give it more if he could. Also, he wants to read it again for our next story time.

[Villa Park Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows a little panda who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. He grumps his way through the day, only to find it makes him rather unpleasant to be around. Cheerful illustrations and repetitive vocabulary are found throughout, making this a worthy choice for a those readers who are just starting out.

Check this book out from the Villa Park Public Library!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Panda is having a bad day. Everything he does, touches, or anyone he talks to just makes it worse. His friends try to brighten his day anyway. And it works, at least for a little bit. This read was fun and is a great way to show kids that it is okay not to be happy all the time.
#LitsyAtoZchildrens

[Angie Azur · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When a picture book makes me laugh out loud when I’m all alone reading- it’s a 5-star book for me!

📣PomPom is such a grump! I just adore him. And I love how it’s the kids who do exactly what he says…and maybe that’s not exactly what he wants.

Just perfect 😍

I believe Kids deserve the allowance of all emotions- even the grumpy ones. 💕

Great fun, author! ✍️

[Andrés · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like leaning into the difficult emotions, in this case, grumpiness and irritability. This book shows the impact your mood can have on the others around you, and it shows how to make it right with your friends, too, by apologizing. Pom Pom is lucky to have such patient, cheerful, and forgiving friends!

[Lee Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classic that the kids adored so much they asked me to read it to them several times! I like this book because it validates anger, but also emphasizes the importance of not lashing out at others when you feel that way. 4/5 stars. The art's cute too!

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pom Pom's feeling cranky today. He says "Harrumph" to everything! Children will totally identify with the mood. A good pick for a storytime about feelings. In the end, Pom Pom's grumpiness drives his friends away and Pom Pom apologizes to make amends.

[Anthony]

A fun easy to rad book describing the shenanigans of an angry (or frustrated) little panda. Nice graphics to bring the story to life and help children to develop a better understanding of feelings such as anger, frustration, annoyance.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

another atlas favorite. “POM POM!” while getting whacked with a book. cute story, about how our big emotions impact others if we let them get to us. i wish there were a board book version, so i didn’t have to worry about ripped pages, but that’s a personal problem 😅

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grumpy, grumpy Pom Pom Panda is plain old having a bad day. But his bad mood is affecting his friends, too. I loved the book for its emphasis on having a bad mood, but things can turn around.

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of it were kind of cute but I wasn't a huge fan of the ending.

[Brandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

We all have days we feel grumpy. It’s a good book to introduce the idiom “wrong side of the bed.” I thought the ending was cute until the last page. I’m not sure kids would get it.

[Alyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful.

[Farida Ladipo-Ajayi · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Pom Pom moved from grumpy to cheerful

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for GPL Storytime Goes Online Day 9

[Julie Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pom Pom is a cute character who is often quite angry. I like the way the story is set in a school as children can relate to this on their level- this may be useful as a social story.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about feeling grumpy.

[Magda Brygała · Rating 4 out of 5]

przeczytałam to tylko ze względu na pandę

[Tracy Mabry · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO cute and a great message!
Illustrations are 100%

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute book about how it feels to be grumpy some days when nothing works out.