Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Mud and Rainbows Hardcover – Picture Book, August 1, 2009

I am not as happy with this series as I thought that I would be. I teach preschool aged students and have used HOWARD B. WIGGLEBOTTOM LEARNS TO LISTEN to help teach expectations in the classroom. I wanted to use this series of books to help teach social/emotional skills in the classroom but I don't like the text nor the illustrations as much as the original. I would not recommend this series to other teachers or mothers.

We love these books.They are educational and fun to read

I received this book for review from the author. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.I read this book aloud to my children.I love the name of the rabbit, Howard B. Wigglebottom. It's cute, it's funny, and accurately describes my kids who can't seem to sit still!The book starts off funny and entertaining as we see the different ways that Howard likes to fix things. It takes on a little bit more of a serious tone when Howard find his best friend, Ali, crying. She is sad because her parents have been fighting a lot, and she feels as if it is all her fault. Howard wants desperately to "fix it," but doesn't know how. Not knowing what to do, he sits with Ali every day and just listens while she talks. Howard doesn't even realize that what he is doing is helping Ali!Howard talks to his mom about Ali's situation, and she has very sage advice for Howard, telling him that sometimes parents do fight and that it is NEVER the child's fault. Furthermore, she reassures Howard that he is doing what Ali needs most: He is being a friend. Even though we cannot always fix things, we can change the way we think and feel about it.The moral of the story is:"Howard learned that sometimes life gives you RAINBOWS and sometimes you get MUD!So if you find yourself headfirst in mud and you can't change it, you have choices.You can be unhappy about it...or make the best of it."I loved this book! I thought the message was inspiring and very thought-provoking. It is not just a message for children, but for adults as well. Binkow includes suggestions for lessons and reflections at the back of the book, and I spent quite a while discussing the book with my kids. Sometimes, children will hear their parents fight, and Binkow reassures children that it is okay to feel upset but that they should know that it is never their fault.Howard is an excellent role model, and I loved seeing his concern for Ali and want to try to help her. He comforted Ali, which is exactly what I would want my kids to do for a friend.Cornelison brought Howard to life with her colourful illustrations. They are just wonderful and capture the essence of Howard beautifully. There is one illustration in particular on Page 23 where we see Howard and Ali from behind, sitting down. Howard has his arm around Ali's shoulders, and he is listening to her as she talks. That picture made me smile, and I was very touched by it.Even though the synopsis suggests that this book is intended for children aged 4-8, I think this book is suitable for a child of any age. Both my 3 year-old and 9 year-old loved the book.Although this is Book #4 of the series, each story is independent and can be read out of order.I am looking forward to reading more Howard B. Wigglebottom books!MY RATING: 5 stars!! We loved it! Highly recommended for kids!

I'm a school counselor and own three of the Howard books. I love them as do my students!This is a very nurturing read for students. I just love it. What a FANTASTIC book to bring out the loving caring sides of kids. I am constantly noticing the GOOD I see in students. They are always wanting to help those around them. This story encourages healthy friendship. Part of being a "healthy" friend is recognizing when a problem is maybe too big to solve and may require adult help or advice. And maybe sometimes, being a good friend is being a good listener. Love that! We can't fix everything but we can sure just be there for each other. The other reason I love this story is it helps kids whose parents are going through a divorce or are fighting. It is so important they hear it's not their fault. We assume they already know this - they don't. One thing I would love with this story is a Howard B. Wigglebottom puppet. The students would love it. There isn't one yet but I hope one gets created.

The fourth book in the seriesTakes on the serious themeOf kids getting the feelingThat they've let down the teamWhen parents start to quarrelTo bicker and to fightKids may feel that they're to blameFor things not going rightHoward's friend was very sadHe couldn't stop her painBut after speaking to his MomHe made her smile againSometimes you can't change the worldThere's nothing you can doFriends can help to make you seeA different point of viewThis beautifully illustrated children's book would make a great addition to any young reader's library, and should also be discussed in Kindergarten and Primary schools. Congratulations to Howard Binkow for another thought-provoking and interesting addition to the series.Amanda Richards, May 19, 2010

I work in a Pre-K Counts classroom. During the week we learned about R, we talked about rainbows. So, I read "Howard B. Wigglbottom Learns About Mud and Rainbows." The kids loved it! I have read the other 3 Wigglebottom books to them, so they were familiar with the characters. The kids' favorite part was when Howard asked "the only expert on practically everything in the universe: his MOM!" My favorite part was when Howard realized "sometimes life gives you RAINBOWS and sometimes you get MUD! So if you find yourself headfirst in mud and you can't change it, you have choices." I love Howard Binkow's books and cannot wait to read his next one. Every young child should read these books!

Thank you so much for another fabulous Howard B. Wigglebottom story. It could not have come at a better time for our family. On the day that we received the book, I had just had a conversation with the kids about this very lesson. My children's father had to go out of town for a work assignment. We talked about how we will miss him, but we can still make the best of it. That night when we read the book, the kids immediately made the connection.Thanks again for the wonderful life lesson.

I am a 3rd grade teacher in Los Alamitos, CA. Howard graciously donated this book to our 2nd and 3rd grade teachers. I am in the middle of teaching a reading unit on Author's Message and this book fit perfectly. My students focused on all the key messages: You always have choices, focus on rainbows not mud, we can't fix everything, and listen to your loved ones. The messages are even good for adults. I took so much away from this book myself. I can't wait to read the others!!!!!

The subtitle of this book is "when parents fight". It didn't show it in the main picture or description so it wasn't what I expected. But it's mostly about being a good friend when you can't fix things for someone.Overall a good book. A little wordy and serious for the younger set. That said, my 3yo has asked for it several times and seems to understand the lesson a little better each time. It's a good conversation starter. The illustrations are fun and beautiful. I'll be trying more from this series.