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Bob the Boo-Boo
A charming and funny story with an unexpected main character – a boo-boo!
An adorable boo-boo named Bob is looking for a cozy place to settle down when he spots a little boy who’s fallen off his bike and hurt himself. ”Can I be your boo-boo?“ Bob asks the boy. When the boy agrees, Bob eagerly jumps up onto his scraped knee. It’s a perfect spot, and Bob and the boy spend many glorious days doing everything together. That is, until the boy starts to realize what Bob has known all along. Boo-boos and little boys can’t stay together forever. Or can they?
This fun and original story is the perfect remedy for any child who’s got a boo-boo of their own, and a great choice for helping children navigate their emotions after getting hurt.
An adorable boo-boo named Bob is looking for a cozy place to settle down when he spots a little boy who’s fallen off his bike and hurt himself. ”Can I be your boo-boo?“ Bob asks the boy. When the boy agrees, Bob eagerly jumps up onto his scraped knee. It’s a perfect spot, and Bob and the boy spend many glorious days doing everything together. That is, until the boy starts to realize what Bob has known all along. Boo-boos and little boys can’t stay together forever. Or can they?
This fun and original story is the perfect remedy for any child who’s got a boo-boo of their own, and a great choice for helping children navigate their emotions after getting hurt.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
24 pages, Hardcover
Published June 3, 2025
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 6, 2025
In a Nutshell: A whimsical picture book about a boo-boo searching for a host. Not sure of the point of the book, but it offers some cute and funny moments.
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This book was first published in Quebec in French under the title “Bob le bobo” in 2020. This English edition, translated from the French by the author herself, is to be published in June 2025.
Who among us has not had a boo-boo as a child (or even as an adult)? But have you ever wondered about the boo-boo’s point of view? Enter Bob the boo-boo to help us see the other side of the picture.
Of all the strange anthropomorphized things I have seen as fictional narrators, Bob has to be the weirdest. It is oddly funny and unsettling to see a boo-boo wandering around, looking for a human host. After a couple of failed attempts, he even succeeds, with a little boy gladly welcoming Bob on his injured leg. Bob’s reactions at the Band-Aids is hilarious!
However, if evaluated logically, much of the story won't make sense. Why would a child readily accept a boo-boo? Would his leg not hurt more? If he already had an injury when he accepted Bob’s offer, what does that make Bob – a boo-boo or a scab? Does Bob feel any pain when the bandaids are yanked off him? As Bob shrinks after the healing process begins, how is he still the same size at the end when he goes in search of a new spot? None of these doubts are clarified in this overly simplistic story. And pray tell, what mother would be pleased to see a boo-boo on her son’s leg? 🤔 The more common reaction would probably be anger or concern or maybe even a resigned sigh…
The only positive learning I can think of is that a child would learn that boo-boos are a common part of life, and if treated with care, they disappear on their own. But this conclusion might come only with the help of adult guidance. There’s not even a note at the end of the book to suggest proper boo-boo care. (Not every boo-boo heals with a band-aid!)
The illustrations, created digitally in crayon-style sketches, gave me mixed feelings. I love Bob and his expressions. And I adore the beautiful, colourful bandaids. But the human characters are just so-so.
Overall, this is a quirky picture book, I give you that. But it doesn’t really make sense to endear an injury to little children. Who knows, some boys (and girls) might be encouraged to get Bobs of their own!
Basically, it’s somewhat cute and also somewhat silly, so I don’t know whom to recommend it to. You can read the above feedback and take a call. The official target age group is 3-7 years.
3 stars.
My thanks to Kids Can Press for providing the DRC of “Bob the Boo-Boo” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book was first published in Quebec in French under the title “Bob le bobo” in 2020. This English edition, translated from the French by the author herself, is to be published in June 2025.
Who among us has not had a boo-boo as a child (or even as an adult)? But have you ever wondered about the boo-boo’s point of view? Enter Bob the boo-boo to help us see the other side of the picture.
Of all the strange anthropomorphized things I have seen as fictional narrators, Bob has to be the weirdest. It is oddly funny and unsettling to see a boo-boo wandering around, looking for a human host. After a couple of failed attempts, he even succeeds, with a little boy gladly welcoming Bob on his injured leg. Bob’s reactions at the Band-Aids is hilarious!
However, if evaluated logically, much of the story won't make sense. Why would a child readily accept a boo-boo? Would his leg not hurt more? If he already had an injury when he accepted Bob’s offer, what does that make Bob – a boo-boo or a scab? Does Bob feel any pain when the bandaids are yanked off him? As Bob shrinks after the healing process begins, how is he still the same size at the end when he goes in search of a new spot? None of these doubts are clarified in this overly simplistic story. And pray tell, what mother would be pleased to see a boo-boo on her son’s leg? 🤔 The more common reaction would probably be anger or concern or maybe even a resigned sigh…
The only positive learning I can think of is that a child would learn that boo-boos are a common part of life, and if treated with care, they disappear on their own. But this conclusion might come only with the help of adult guidance. There’s not even a note at the end of the book to suggest proper boo-boo care. (Not every boo-boo heals with a band-aid!)
The illustrations, created digitally in crayon-style sketches, gave me mixed feelings. I love Bob and his expressions. And I adore the beautiful, colourful bandaids. But the human characters are just so-so.
Overall, this is a quirky picture book, I give you that. But it doesn’t really make sense to endear an injury to little children. Who knows, some boys (and girls) might be encouraged to get Bobs of their own!
Basically, it’s somewhat cute and also somewhat silly, so I don’t know whom to recommend it to. You can read the above feedback and take a call. The official target age group is 3-7 years.
3 stars.
My thanks to Kids Can Press for providing the DRC of “Bob the Boo-Boo” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
April 23, 2025
I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.
This is an absolutely adorable little children's book about a cute little boo-boo called Bob on a quest to find a home.
The story is wholesome and fun with a wonderfully diverse cast of characters and the art is an incredibly pleasant crayon style.
The image of Bob wearing goggles while riding a wasp was an absolute delight, as were the various plaster/ band-aid designs.
Absolutely charming!
This is an absolutely adorable little children's book about a cute little boo-boo called Bob on a quest to find a home.
The story is wholesome and fun with a wonderfully diverse cast of characters and the art is an incredibly pleasant crayon style.
The image of Bob wearing goggles while riding a wasp was an absolute delight, as were the various plaster/ band-aid designs.
Absolutely charming!
February 27, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Melina Schoenborn for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book was the oddest but had a great way of helping kids understand small injuries and how they may be there for a little bit and then go away. It does end abruptly I felt, but the last page made me laugh! The illustrations were stellar!
This book was the oddest but had a great way of helping kids understand small injuries and how they may be there for a little bit and then go away. It does end abruptly I felt, but the last page made me laugh! The illustrations were stellar!
May 18, 2025
Let's start with saying, the bandage illustrations are amazing. The have so cute & quirky.
The story of Bob the Boo-Boo is most appropriate for probably kindergarten and younger. Maybe 1st grade, but I think a lot of 1st graders may have the story a little young.
Bob is a Boo-Boo looking for a place in this world, so he sets out on an adventure to find where he belongs. Bob first tries to join other boo-boos but they tell him there is no room. Then Bob finds an older person who has hurt themselves, but they tell Bob to leave, they don't wan't a boo-boo. After that Bob tries to get a wasp to help him, but the dad of the child the wasp was going to sting, shoos them away. Finally, Bob finds a boy who has hurt and needs a Boo-Boo. Bob is happy to have found his person and he begins to heal. The boy is sad that Bob is almost gone and Bob tells the boy this is what Boo-Boos are meant to do, but he will be back soon. The final page is the boy falling off the monkey bars and I cackled out loud. I'm a mom of 3, 2 of which are boys, and I can assure you, every time Bob finally heals at our house, he's back the next day.
This week alone, my son skinned both knees. As soon as they started to look better, he tumbled from his scooter and took a chunk of skin off his elbow/arm.
The themes of resilience through rejection, the power of healing, and the thought of loss/leaving (sort of) flow throughout this book. It's a great book to open discussions around what it feels like to not fit in or to be left out. Finding your place in this world and the security that brings is another conversation starter from Bob the Boo-Boo. It's absolutely a book I'd recommend to friends, teachers, and even mental health professionals (think Play Therapy.) The message is presented in an easy to understand way for kids (specifically around the 5-6 age group.)
The story of Bob the Boo-Boo is most appropriate for probably kindergarten and younger. Maybe 1st grade, but I think a lot of 1st graders may have the story a little young.
Bob is a Boo-Boo looking for a place in this world, so he sets out on an adventure to find where he belongs. Bob first tries to join other boo-boos but they tell him there is no room. Then Bob finds an older person who has hurt themselves, but they tell Bob to leave, they don't wan't a boo-boo. After that Bob tries to get a wasp to help him, but the dad of the child the wasp was going to sting, shoos them away. Finally, Bob finds a boy who has hurt and needs a Boo-Boo. Bob is happy to have found his person and he begins to heal. The boy is sad that Bob is almost gone and Bob tells the boy this is what Boo-Boos are meant to do, but he will be back soon. The final page is the boy falling off the monkey bars and I cackled out loud. I'm a mom of 3, 2 of which are boys, and I can assure you, every time Bob finally heals at our house, he's back the next day.
This week alone, my son skinned both knees. As soon as they started to look better, he tumbled from his scooter and took a chunk of skin off his elbow/arm.
The themes of resilience through rejection, the power of healing, and the thought of loss/leaving (sort of) flow throughout this book. It's a great book to open discussions around what it feels like to not fit in or to be left out. Finding your place in this world and the security that brings is another conversation starter from Bob the Boo-Boo. It's absolutely a book I'd recommend to friends, teachers, and even mental health professionals (think Play Therapy.) The message is presented in an easy to understand way for kids (specifically around the 5-6 age group.)
March 22, 2025
I think that there was a unique and sweet idea here, but it ended up being weird. To sum it up, I just don't understand what the point of this book. The thing I can think of is that maybe it's about being kind to others. However, if that's so, that didn't come through clearly enough to hold an impact. Additionally, it didn't end up being a part of the larger story. The boy doesn't gain anything for his good deed, and Bob seems to be in the same place he was when he started his journey.
Perhaps the meaning of this book is that boo-boos are temporary and not to be feared. Although, the setup to this idea is a bit confusing and unrealistic, because who would happily welcome a boo-boo onto their knee or elbow?
All of that being said, I still liked the illustrations a lot! The variety of different bandage designs was highly entertaining and adorable. It definitely makes for some fun nostalgia for parents/caregivers that are reading along with their little ones. Additionally, I liked the "artsy" feel of the drawings; they didn't feel artificial or overly processed, which worked really well.
Overall, this book was visually pleasing, but the story itself lacks a meaning or purpose.
Perhaps the meaning of this book is that boo-boos are temporary and not to be feared. Although, the setup to this idea is a bit confusing and unrealistic, because who would happily welcome a boo-boo onto their knee or elbow?
All of that being said, I still liked the illustrations a lot! The variety of different bandage designs was highly entertaining and adorable. It definitely makes for some fun nostalgia for parents/caregivers that are reading along with their little ones. Additionally, I liked the "artsy" feel of the drawings; they didn't feel artificial or overly processed, which worked really well.
Overall, this book was visually pleasing, but the story itself lacks a meaning or purpose.
June 28, 2025
Bob is a cute little red blob with arms and legs and a friendly face, carrying a bindle over his shoulder. He’s in search of a warm, friendly spot. A girls falls from her skateboard…but the boo-boos already on her arm say there’s no room for Bob. He tries a few other people, but nothing works out. Finally, when a little boy falls from his bike, there’s a place for Bob and he settles on the boy’s knee.
This whimsical story is destined to dry the tears of an accident-prone toddler. The succession of cute bandages that cover Bob up make him warm and cozy, even as he gets smaller and smaller each day. Finally Bob disappears from the boy’s knee, and must be off for his next host. The last page shows him waiting in the bushes as the boy swings precariously from the monkey bars. The gently humorous story isn’t meant to be serious, but has the potential to help a kid through the tears of an uncomfortable scrape. The digital art is textured enough to resemble pastels and portrays the white boy, his dark-skinned mom and Bob with equal gravitas. The ultimate feel-good book for kids prone to cuts and scrapes.
This whimsical story is destined to dry the tears of an accident-prone toddler. The succession of cute bandages that cover Bob up make him warm and cozy, even as he gets smaller and smaller each day. Finally Bob disappears from the boy’s knee, and must be off for his next host. The last page shows him waiting in the bushes as the boy swings precariously from the monkey bars. The gently humorous story isn’t meant to be serious, but has the potential to help a kid through the tears of an uncomfortable scrape. The digital art is textured enough to resemble pastels and portrays the white boy, his dark-skinned mom and Bob with equal gravitas. The ultimate feel-good book for kids prone to cuts and scrapes.
January 23, 2025
I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an odd one! It’s an anthropomorphized scab, I guess? Bob is a boo-boo looking for a new home. He runs across various people who’ve hurt themselves (a skateboarder, an old man with a blister, etc.), but he finally finds a home on a little boy’s knee. The two become friends and hte little boy changes Bob’s bandage every day as he grows smaller and smaller and eventually moves on. I guess it’s kind of sweet? And I suppose it could make you less afraid of getting hurt? But I also feel like a kid might freak out that their “friend” the boo-boo is suddenly gone? Or maybe I’m overthinking it…
This is an odd one! It’s an anthropomorphized scab, I guess? Bob is a boo-boo looking for a new home. He runs across various people who’ve hurt themselves (a skateboarder, an old man with a blister, etc.), but he finally finds a home on a little boy’s knee. The two become friends and hte little boy changes Bob’s bandage every day as he grows smaller and smaller and eventually moves on. I guess it’s kind of sweet? And I suppose it could make you less afraid of getting hurt? But I also feel like a kid might freak out that their “friend” the boo-boo is suddenly gone? Or maybe I’m overthinking it…
May 31, 2025
A book that wants to show how fine it is to have a scab after falling off your bike (or anything else) – this has a whole world of scabs, or boo-boos, and while some are defensive about being where they are and not being joined by more, other spaces just cry out for them. But are they then a permanent feature of the human adorned by them? I could see what this was doing, but I don't know if the much younger me this would have been aimed at would have been able to; it seemed rather clumsy itself in getting its message across. And why talk about 'bandages' when you're showing plasters in the art?
February 6, 2025
I was unsure on what to think about this book! haha. A book about a boo-boo?! My son saw this cover and immediately asked if we could read it. I'm so glad my request went through!
This is basically about a boo-book trying to find a place to live. He finds the perfect kid that's been hurt and then he slowly gets better. In my opinion, it's to make boo-boo's seem less scary! The illustrations were awesome and my kid loved this one. He asked me if we could buy it. :) I think that tells you everything you need to know!!
This is basically about a boo-book trying to find a place to live. He finds the perfect kid that's been hurt and then he slowly gets better. In my opinion, it's to make boo-boo's seem less scary! The illustrations were awesome and my kid loved this one. He asked me if we could buy it. :) I think that tells you everything you need to know!!
March 4, 2025
Mother of two here, and we thought Bob is a Boo-Boo, by Melina Schoenborn, was so cute! What a clever concept, the idea of a Boo-Boo packing its bags and moving on to find another place to live. The illustrations were beautiful, both of my kids LOVED the creativity of the bandaids. It was the perfect book for my 8-year-old to read to my 5-year-old. We also loved that the little boy was sad to see his boo-boo go, only to get hurt again at the last page. We would recommend this to another family, of kindergarteners or younger.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for this eARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for this eARC!
August 27, 2025
My granddaughter thinks this book is 5 stars. I thought it was 2.5. I had to give it credit for entertaining her for hours and causing me to have to read it over and over again. Bob is looking for a human to climb on so he could get warm. He found a little boy that hurt his knee. The boy’s mother takes such good care of the boo boo that it shrinks every day. Alas Bob must leave. The ending is cute. And very realistic but personifying a boo boo is weird to me. Some things shouldn’t be given life like qualities.
March 28, 2025
I wanted to like this. Bob is a boo-boo or an Ouchi. It needs to find the right person to stay on make friends with until he eventually disappears. And then they’ll move on to the next person. Or come back and visit another one after a tragic accident. I like the idea of making boo-boos, scrape, scratches, etc. something fun. And something not to fear but there’s something about the way this book does it that makes it more ugly than cute.
April 16, 2025
When I first saw this book, I was immediately drawn to it because of it having a "boo-boo" and a bandaid on the front. Children love bandaids, but this is not what the story is about. It is about a "boo-boo" trying to find a host to live on. Nobody wants "boo-boos" so I was shocked when the premise was to find a host child.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the advanced reader copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the advanced reader copy.
June 30, 2025
This is a weird one...
I wanted to like it--Bob the Boo-Boo is cute, simple text, bits of humor, etc. I thought it would make a good read aloud for a Sick/Get Well Soon story time.
However, I think it misses the mark on comforting children who are upset about cuts and scratches. It reads more like encouragement to go out and get hurt? To miss your injuries when they heal?
Just didn't work for me, but others may find it quirky and cute.
I wanted to like it--Bob the Boo-Boo is cute, simple text, bits of humor, etc. I thought it would make a good read aloud for a Sick/Get Well Soon story time.
However, I think it misses the mark on comforting children who are upset about cuts and scratches. It reads more like encouragement to go out and get hurt? To miss your injuries when they heal?
Just didn't work for me, but others may find it quirky and cute.
July 6, 2025
What a cute book for Children! Having worked in a children's hospital, this type of book is great for play therapy and demonstrating with children. Anthropomorphizing the wound itself is such a unique and relatable way to connect with kids with injuries.
I'll be sharing it with my children when the time comes.
This honest review is provided in connection with my receipt of an ARC copy through NetGalley provided by the generous staff of Kids Can Press.
I'll be sharing it with my children when the time comes.
This honest review is provided in connection with my receipt of an ARC copy through NetGalley provided by the generous staff of Kids Can Press.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2025
Thank you kids can press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Bob the boo boo was a good book, especially when it is so difficult to make kids understand what injuries mean. This will help parents when they want their kids to know more about boo boo. That it's normal to fall sometime and get a boo boo.
My kid loved it. Thank you for the ARC once again.
Bob the boo boo was a good book, especially when it is so difficult to make kids understand what injuries mean. This will help parents when they want their kids to know more about boo boo. That it's normal to fall sometime and get a boo boo.
My kid loved it. Thank you for the ARC once again.
February 5, 2025
I loved this book!! Bob is an adorable little "boo-boo" who is searching for someone to help-I love how he asks "Can I be your boo-boo?'.. It would be perfect to read to a child who got hurt and is afraid of getting a wound cleaned or needs help expressing his emotions-I love how the book tells the story from Bob's point of view-even the boo boo needs some TLC too!
February 25, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. Bob is a cute, friendly little boo-boo looking for a nice place to live, and he finds it on the knee of a little boy. My little boy who loves getting to pick out bandaids for his own boo-boos loved that part, and loved that bob even went in the bath with the little boy. My kids both enjoyed Bob’s adventure and the illustrations were cute too.
June 10, 2025
"Bob the Boo-Boo" is a story set in the "boo-boos" perspective which I thought was quite original. From a preschool teacher perspective, I think it would be a great and comforting story to have in the classroom. I can imagine pulling it out to read to a child who may have gotten a "boo-boo" of their own.
February 1, 2025
Cute. Adorable. Illustrations are amazing.
My son and I read this at bedtime and he loves it. He said he likes the part where Bob was getting cleaned and a band-aid was put on.
Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Kids Can Press for the ARC.
My son and I read this at bedtime and he loves it. He said he likes the part where Bob was getting cleaned and a band-aid was put on.
Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Kids Can Press for the ARC.
February 6, 2025
What a unique book. Children will love the story and empathize with Bob the boo-boo. The illustrations are lovely. Thank you Kids Can Press and NetGalley for the e-copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 10, 2025
A super cute book about an adorable boo-boo who finds a home on a scraped knee. My kiddo loved the quirky story and illustrations, so I'll definitely grab it when it hits stores!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC ❤️
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC ❤️
March 31, 2025
Such a cute, funny little story. A boo boo looks for a home. Nothing really serious and doesn’t touch on the body’s healing process, but reiterates boo boos come and go.
Thank you to Kids Can Press and NG for the advanced copy.
Thank you to Kids Can Press and NG for the advanced copy.
June 11, 2025
I found this story to be a bit strange in the way it was told but it might make getting a boo-boo less scary for some kids. I think just having a sentient boo-boo asking people if they would like to have one or not? It's a bit weird for me.
September 29, 2025
A cute and funny story about a boo-boo who's looking for someone to belong to, the healing process, and moving on. More humorous than deep. I bet kids will love.
Themes: Boo-boo, hurt, healing
age range: Preschool-Early elementary
Themes: Boo-boo, hurt, healing
age range: Preschool-Early elementary
January 17, 2025
Cute, adorable and beautiful.
January 20, 2025
I read this to my niece, and she loved it. I thought it was cute I think it would make a good book when a child gets a booboo or maybe even a bedtime story.
January 27, 2025
This children’s picture book is a cute story of Bob and The Boy. The illustrations are colorful and fun. If you have a child that gets a lot of boo-boos get this story to read together!
January 29, 2025
Thank you for the ARC. This was such a cute book with cute illustrations. My son enjoyed listening to it and looking at the pictures.
January 30, 2025
OMG, this book is so darn cute. I love it for both home and the classroom. It's sure to bring a smile to children's faces everywhere.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews