Time Out, Buzzy

Buzzy

by Harriet Ziefert, Emily Bolam (Illustrator)

Buzzy will not put his toys away. He will not take a bath. He will not brush his teeth. So Buzzy gets a time-out in his bedroom. First he sulks. Then he gets bored. And then he begins to play. He gives his trucks a time-out, and his bear a time-out, and his books a time-out, and his chair a time-out. By the time Mom calls an end to Buzzy's time-out, he's back to his old happy self and ready to cooperate. And he's gotten there himself! The Buzzy books help children explore their own feelings and discover solutions. Written in lilting rhyme and illustrated with great charm, these short but sweet forays into the landscape of childhood tumbles are sure to resonate with young children.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2006

About the author

Harriet Ziefert grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where she attended the local schools. She graduated from Smith College, then received a Masters degree in Education from New York University.

For many years, Ziefert was an elementary school teacher. She taught most grades from kindergarten to fifth grade. "I liked it," she said, but she stopped teaching when she had her own sons. When her children were older, Ziefert wanted "a bigger arena" for her work. She went to work at a publishing company, Scholastic in New York City, developing materials for teacher's guides for kindergarten language arts and social studies programs.

"About twelve years ago," says Ziefert in a 1995 interview, "I tried to get a job as an editor, but no one would hire me as a trade editor. So I decided to write my own books." Since then, she has written several hundred books, mostly picture books and easy-to-read books. "I write books very quickly," she says, "in about twelve hours. I rewrite them three times over three days, and then they're done." She writes about twenty books a year.

Reviews

[Pamela Hatch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Time Out, Buzzy / by Harriet Ziefert; pictures by Emily Bolam -- Maplewood, NJ : Blue Apple Books, c2006. (32 pages)

SUMMARY: Buzzy won't do what his parents tell him to so he is sent to his room for a time-out.

REVIEW: Very simple story about Buzzy (a donkey) that has an "I-don't-want-to-do-it" mood and is sent to his room for a time-out. So he decides to play "time-out" with his toys until it is time for bed and he seems to be over his mood and gets ready for bed. OK storyline, but not much there, which might be just enough for a very young reader to enjoy.

FORMAT: Very strong pages that would be good for young readers to handle themselves without tearing. However, the binding seems to be superficial which might make it easy to come apart if handled roughly. Illustrations are very colorful with very bold black lines that appeal to younger readers.

[Jo B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't had to use a "time out" yet with my toddler but using this book as a means to introduce the idea. Thank you.