Synopses & Reviews
and#160;and#171;and#8220;A frothy, effervescent gift.and#8221; and#8211;
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
and#8220;Little Mabel blew a bubble and it caused a lot of trouble- / Such a lot of bubble trouble in a bibble-bobble way./ For it broke away from Mabel as it bobbed across the table,/ Where it bobbled over Baby, and it wafted him away.and#8221; Soon the baby is floating out of the house, above the fence, and all over town! Ebullient rhymes, joyful illustrations, and the new big-book format combine to create a delightful storytime experience. Winner of the 2009 Boston Globeand#8211;Horn Book Award for Best Picture Book!
Review
andquot;Four- to six-year-olds are sure to enjoy Paul Galdone's interpretation, and they should gain good visual concepts of size and of right to left from the delightful pictures and the use of various type sizes.andquot; --School Library Journal
Review
"The collage technique works well for distinguishing the brightly colored shapes, and the simple story is pitched perfectly for sharing with the youngest of listeners." -School Library Journal
Review
"Mabel blows a bubble that envelops her baby brother, gently wafting him all over the village, causing shock and excitement among the population. Chrysta and Greville Gribble, Tybal and his mother Sybil, the crabby Copples, feeble Mrs. Treeble and Canon Dapple come up with an improbable plan to catch the bubbled baby. Meanwhile, mischievous rebel Abel bursts the bubble with his slingshot and the villagers gallantly come to the rescue by catching him in a quilt. The action moves with breathless frenzy. Mahy is a master at creating verse that is as light and airy as the babyand#8217;s bubble. Filled with lovely Briticisms, alliterative nonsense words, double, triple and internal rhymes, itand#8217;s meant to be read aloudand#8212;and#8216;Again!and#8217;and#8212;and will lead both breathless readers and listeners to delighted giggles. The text floats across the pages in waves and arcs, and Dunbarand#8217;s joyous watercolor-andand#8211;cut-paper illustrations are wonderfully expressive, a visual treat moving apace with the text. A frothy, effervescent gift.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review and#8220;Bubble, bubble, tongue-twisting trouble! When Mabel blows a bubble, it causes a bit of troubleand#8212;in the inimitable Mahy way. The rhythm and rhyme of her newest exuberant offering has echoes of the and#8216;bibble-bubble-babbleand#8217; of her older 17 Kings and 42 Elephants (rev. 9/87) with added tongue-stumbling internal rhymes to keep even the most accomplished storyteller on her toes. Little Mabeland#8217;s bubble surrounds Baby and takes him on an adventure of amazing heights. The whole town is alarmed as the bobbling bubble floats farther astray, but happy Baby is comfortably enthralled with his birdand#8217;s-eye view of the commotion. Dunbarand#8217;s cut-paper and watercolor full-page illustrations are entirely faithful to the lively tale. Every little detail of this raucous story is depicted in the dramatic spreadsand#8212;a good thing, as the words are a pleasant stretch for lap listeners. Who wouldnand#8217;t love the sound of nefarious, cavorting, grapple, and the like tripping off the readerand#8217;s tongue? The suspense builds in both words and pictures, and little onesand#8217; eyes will be as round as the bubble. Read this aloud and expect a lot of giggles and calls for a repeat performance. It will take a few readings to get through without stumbling, but that only adds to the fun.and#8221;and#8212;Horn Book, STARRED review and#160; and#8220;A truckload of trouble and mountains of mayhem ensue when young Mabel blows a bubble that enfolds her baby brother and carries him aloft. He is pursued by his frantic mother and sister, and#8216;crumpled Mr. Copple and his wife,and#8217; and#8216;feeble Mrs. Threeble,and#8217; and#8216;Greville Gribble,and#8217; the chapel choir, and other townsfolk. The text floats in waves along with the bouncing baby across the energetic watercolor and cut-paper spreads. Dressed in stripes and plaids, nightshirts and jogging suits, the crowd sprints along through backyards and gardens, gesticulating wildly as the smiling infant floats by. Eventually, the rescuers form a human ladder to reach him. But Abel, and#8216;a rascal and a rebel,and#8217; performs a dastardly deed with his slingshot and the people watch in horror as the baby plummets through the air. It takes three page turns for readers to reach the delightful resolution of this perilous predicament. There is no mistaking the babyand#8217;s happy landing as his smiling face and waving arms and feet fill the spread. This tale, with its over-the-top silliness, is a storyhour gem. And with some practice, the rhyme, alliterative phrases, and names will fall trippingly off the tongue. Fabulous fun!and#8221;and#8212;School Library Journal, STARRED review and#160; and#8220;Mahy is clearly in love with language here, as she offers a text that flounces and bounces like the baby in the bubble. . . . Children will find their ears perking up at the tongue-twisting text, and they may become word lovers, too, after listening to this.and#8221;and#8212;Booklist and#160; and#8220;An ebullient cocktail of sweetness and absurdity. . . . Readers-aloud will have as much fun as listeners with this frothy confection, so get ready to let that baby bounce.and#8221;and#8212;The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Synopsis
This familiar nursery tale features a warmly appealing bear family and a naughty, gap-toothed Goldilocks.
Synopsis
"WHO'S BEEN EATING MY PORRIDGE?" "WHO'S BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR?" "WHO'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?" Even little ones who know the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears will be eager to recite familiar lines and turn the pages in this warmly told and humorously illustrated edition, created by the master storyteller Paul Galdone.
Synopsis
In this companion to the classic concept book Mouse Paint, three mice learn about shapes, creativity, and cooperation.
Synopsis
The mice are at it again. This time, they are discussing shapes and arranging them to create recognizable images. They even make a cat face with lots of pointy teeth. When the real cat shows up, they use their typical ingenuity to escape!
Synopsis
Thisand#160;beautiful andand#160;value-packed gift set includes Paul Galdone's retellings of The Three Bears, Three Little Kittens, The Little Red Hen and Town Mouse Country Mouse.
Synopsis
and#8220;Mr. Galdone . . . had a knack for communicating humor through the eyes of his characters, whether he was drawing an overconfident wolf ogling a clever pig or a mouse in raptures at the scent of a freshly baked cake.and#8221;and#8212;
Wall Street Journaland#160;
This wonderful library includes four classic stories, all told and illustrated by the award-winning Paul Galdone: The Three Bears, Three Little Kittens, The Little Red Hen, and The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. Pair this gift box with the Folktale Classics Heirloom Library!
Synopsis
A hilarious rhyming romp from Margaret Mahy and Polly Dunbar. Withand#160;a poetic text, aand#160;fun and funny story, and bright artwork, this Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winning picture book isand#160;now available asand#160;big book. Aand#160;perfect read aloudand#160;for story time.
Synopsis
Harumph! Elephant is GRUMPY. But after an amazing hat arrives on his doorstep, he discovers that the best cheer-up of all comes from sharing with friends! Get ready for giant-sized fun with this Big Book thatand#39;s perfect for classroom storytime.
About the Author
Margaret Mahy lived in New Zealand and was internationally acknowledged as one of the most outstanding childrenand#8217;s writers of her day. She was the author of more than two hundred books for children of all ages, two of which receivedandnbsp;England's Carnegie Medal and others of which have garnered numerous citations from the American Library Association. She was also the recipient of an Order of New Zealand, the highest honor a citizen can receive. In 2006 she receivd the Hans Christian Andersen award for her contributions to international children's literature. Polly Dunbar is the author and illustrator of Penguin, Dogandnbsp;Blue, and Flyaway Katie (all published by Candlewick). She is also the illustrator of Margaret Mahy's Down the Back of the Chair.andnbsp;She studied illustration at Brightandnbsp;Art School and now lives and works in Brighton, England.andnbsp;