Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ages: 4 – 8 years
When I was a kid, I was kind of messy and a bit annoying. Depending on which of these I was currently being, my mom and dad would call me ‘’Jessi Messy’’ or ‘’Jess the Pest.’’
Now that my son is nearly seven years old, I can totally understand why I earned these nicknames! His room is really cluttered, the aftermath of an afternoon building hot wheels tracks and racing them …
But more annoying, he keeps interrupting me while I’m talking!
I’ve taken to asking him calmly, ‘’I’m currently talking to your Dad, is it in emergency?’’
‘’Um….no….but I REALLY need to tell you something!’’
‘’Ok what is it?’’
‘’Did you know …..,’’ and then he launches into some random facts about spiders that he learned from his favorite cartoon, Wild Kratz.
….Sigghhhh
I think I’ve found a solution though! I recently come across this great book called, My Mouth is a Volcano and I can’t help but feel the author must be the mother of a six-year-old boy.
My Mouth is a Volcano is an empathetic approach to the annoying habit of kids interrupting! It gives them a clever technique to help them manage their words and thoughts.
I can’t wait to read it to him!
The story is told by a young boy name Louis from his own perspective. You see, Louis has a volcano mouth and just can’t seem to control his thoughts and words.
Louis says that when other people talk, words pop into his head and slide down his tongue. His tummy starts to rumble and his words begin to wiggle and jiggle. His tongue pushes all of his important words up against his teeth, and then …. words just EXPLODE out of his mouth!
This gets him into trouble. He interrupts in the classroom and at day-care, resulting in a time-out.
He interrupts his mom and dad at home, desperate to tell them a story of how his friend Bill can blow a bubble inside a bubble when he chews two pieces of bubble gum.
He blames his volcano mouth so his mum sends him to his room.
However, Louis gets a taste of his own medicine when he is giving a presentation in class and two of his friends interrupt.
He complains to his mom about how rude his friends are.
‘’Now you know how we feel when you interrupt us,’’ says mom.
Mom teaches him a great technique to hold onto his thoughts and words patiently while waiting his turn….and you know what? It works!
Author Julia Cook has done a great job with this fantastic book that teaches children how not to interrupt, ensuring its entertaining by telling the story through the eyes of a young buy who himself has a volcano mouth. Carrie Hartman has illustrated the book in her unique styles with vibrant images and exaggerated facial features.
My Mouth is a Volcano provides parents and teachers with an entertaining way to teach children the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak. It’s an empathetic approach to the annoying habit of kids interrupting!
