Barbara Throws A Wobbler

Barbara is not having a great day. First, she can’t find the right sock, then there’s a suspicious pea for lunch, and THEN she steps on a crack on the pavement. Her friends can’t cheer her up, and then, the unthinkable happens: Barbara drops her ice-cream. It’s the last straw and a full-blown WOBBLER erupts. ARGHHH!

Yet, rather than just Barbara being cross, an actual red, jelly-like cloud emerges above Barbara’s head and stays there, forbidding any hugs or friendly attempts at talking. The Wobbler threatens to take over Barbara altogether, until she talks to it and realises she’s in control after all. With a little bit of effort, can Barbara make the Wobbler disappear?

Nadia Shireen’s brilliant book about temper tantrums is a definite must-have for any parents of 3-5 year olds who may have had a wobbler or two (or a sulk, or a seethe, or any of the other temper types helpfully listed at the back of the book). As ever, Shireen’s humour and empathy with little ones shines through, creating a book that totally gets exactly how frustrating life can be when you’re small, but also knows that tantrums are just a part of life and – maybe – something that we can all laugh about, afterwards.