Boomer Sees the Town by Diann Floyd Boehm | GSMC Book Review Podcast
·43 min
1. GSMC Book Review Podcast centers this episode on Boomer Sees the Town by Diane Floyd-Bame, a children’s book about a curious bunny and a re-release with new illustrations.
2. Host Sarah interviews Diane Floyd-Bame, who is both the author of Boomer Sees the Town and a former classroom teacher, and her teaching background matters because she talks directly about preschool and kindergarten readers.
3. The episode asks what a children’s story can do for curiosity, repetition, and recall, and Diane frames the book as a way to let young readers “see what he could see.”
4. Diane says the book began with a small oil painting from a friend in England that showed “a teeny tiny little white bunny peeking out” of a forest.
5. She connects that image to a day of playing with her grandson, whose questions helped her combine the bunny image with a curious character named Boomer.
6. Sarah describes Boomer as a bunny who leaves the forest, follows people on a path, and looks at a city with surprise rather than fear.
7. Diane explains that the repeated line “to see what he could see” was designed so children could join in and recognize the pattern.
8. She says children like repetition because it helps them engage with the story and predict when Boomer is about to move again.
9. Diane uses the book to talk about curiosity as a positive trait, while also noting that children need an adult with them if they follow a path.
10. She says Boomer’s trip also gives educators a way to work on comprehension and recall by having children name what he saw in order.
11. Diane points to the sprinkler scene, which she describes as a moment when Boomer thinks “it’s raining from the ground,” and she says children laugh at that page.
12. She also singles out the scene where Boomer sees his reflection and runs toward the glass, thinking it is a friend before realizing “that was me.”
13. Another favorite moment for her is when Boomer sees birds and remembers home, because that lets the story connect curiosity with family and belonging.
14. Diane says the ending returns Boomer to his siblings in the forest, which she compares to Dorothy wanting to go home in The Wizard of Oz.
15. The book’s new look matters to her because she says the earlier watercolor art felt softer and more nostalgic, while the updated version is brighter and more suited to children now.
16. She says the illustrator was given “free reign,” and she was pleased when the new art “nailed it” with bright colors and big eyes.
17. The conversation is relaxed and conversational, with Sarah asking follow-up questions about illustration style, reading level, and how children react in classrooms.
18. Diane speaks in a warm, reflective style that mixes personal memory, teaching experience, and a clear interest in children’s literacy.
19. Readers who like picture books, early readers, and classroom-friendly repetition would likely enjoy this episode.
20. Listeners looking for dark plot twists or adult fiction discussion might skip it.
