Philomena loves to talk about herself. In fact, she talks so much about herself that she ends up playing alone at recess and making her little brother cry. 

But it’s not Philomena’s fault. Whenever a friend or classmate is talking, the big, bad Mimi takes over – latching on to Philomena’s belly button to say something louder and better, making her feel like the most interesting person in the room. 

Ostracized at school and alienating her soccer team with her Mimi antics, Philomena realizes that she needs to get rid of big, bad Mimi for good. With the help of one of her teachers and a few magic words, she learns there’s a simple way to not only speak up, but to stop and listen, too. 

Illustrated by Jasmine Mirra Turcotte, Philomena and the Big Bad Mimi tackles with care and kindness a common challenge that many kids face, depicting Mimi as a colourful butterfly figure and using compassion and self-awareness to give Philomena the tools she needs to fit in. It is a gentle lesson to help young children remember that listening is just as important as having your say.mRb