Don't Blow Your Top! - by Ame Dyckman (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Big Volcano and Little Volcano live side by side in paradise, but when a silly bird drops a coconut (or two) on Little Volcano's crater he blows his top."--

Book Synopsis

Everybody gets angry sometimes, even a little volcano. But with some rock-steady advice, Little Volcano finds a way to process their steamy emotions.

Spend a day in paradise with Little Volcano and Big Volcano. Everything is beautiful and calm until an out-of-control bird drops a coconut on Little Volcano's crater. Will Little Volcano blow their top? Can Big Volcano help?

Don't Blow Your Top! is a hysterical and explosive read-aloud story that will have kids of all ages erupting with laughter as Little Volcano and Big Volcano try to deal with their anger and go with the flow. The book features some tips for kids and volcanoes of all ages to help them navigate their fiery emotions and learn to be cool when things get a little out of control.

Review Quotes

★ "Dyckman's warm-hearted story stars two surprisingly relatable landform characters... Alwar's animated digital illustrations give the expressive volcanoes lots of personality. Vibrant saturated colors and thick outlines bring energy to the offbeat tale." -- The Horn Book, starred review

"This cute, soothing story will help children learn to cope with and temper those explosive, potentially overwhelming emotions that we all feel from time to time... The vibrant, cartoonish digital illustrations are lively, with expressive protagonists and a tropical setting as a backdrop. Deals with feelings in a gentle, easy-to-understand way." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A young volcano learns to manage potentially explosive emotions in this gratifying geological picture book... Vibrant colors saturate Alwar's digital art, which expressively animates the story's characters. Little Volcano's tools for emotional regulation offer readers simple and memorable skills for moments when they might feel themselves getting hot-tempered." -- Publishers Weekly

Praise for Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates by Cheryl B. Klein, illustrated by Abhi Alwar:

★ "Funny, cleverly building dialogue by Klein... Debut illustrator Alwar creates two highly and equally expressive rodent protagonists... readers should get a tickle out of how the freewheeling digital compositions open up the tiny world of the hamster cage in unexpected ways." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

Praise for Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Scott Magoon:

"The over-the-top humor, comical asides from the TV crew, and Magoon's boisterous, candy colored artwork, in thick lines and cartoonish shapes, will lure in many a reader. The sneaky shark facts will go down easy in this uproariously silly picture book." -- Booklist

"Magoon's cartooning is both funny and visually striking... and the playful typography used for Dyckman's rapid-fire dialogue makes her blooper-reel humor even funnier." -- Publishers Weekly

"Fun and playful... or so Shark would have us believe." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Dyckman hits the mark of both hilarious and sweet... Make no mistake, this is a fun addition to any collection, best for reading close-up and one-on-one." --School Library Journal

Praise for Misunderstood Shark: Friends Don't Eat Friends by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Scott Magoon:

"In this delicious sequel... the action picks up without a hitch... Definitely one to dish up alongside Ryan T. Higgins' We Don't Eat Our Classmates... and other culinary-themed disquisitions on social proprieties." -- Booklist

About the Author

Ame Dyckman is an award-winning author of many bestselling picture books, including Duckie & Snaps: We Cannot Be Friends, illustrated by Tim Miller; Don't Blow Your Top!, illustrated by Abhi Alwar; Wolfie the Bunny, illustrated by Zachariah OHora; and the Misunderstood Shark series, illustrated by Scott Magoon. Ame lives in beautiful central New Jersey with her husband and daughter. For book news and fun, follow Ame on X: @AmeDyckman.
Abhi Alwar is the illustrator of Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates by Cheryl B. Klein. She currently lives in New York City and works in children's publishing.