Synopses & Reviews
Gum has been around for centuries. The ancient Greeks chewed sap from mastic trees. The American Indians chewed spruce resin. Men in top hats and women in puffy dresses chewed gum to cure things like stomachaches. Gum wasn't that exciting. But what if gum chewers could blow bubbles while chewing it?
In the late 1920s a factory in Philadelphia was working on a top secret project. Month after month the workers experimented with different ingredients and formulas. And month after month all they had to show for their hard work was a big sticky mess. Would there be no bubble gum? Sometimes the best inventions come from the most unexpected places...
Full of fun historical facts, Pop! is the true story of how bubble gum was invented.
Review
Walter Diemer, an accountant with the Fleer chewing gum company, slowly begins experimenting with ingredients, trying to create bubblegum. One batch is a near missand#8212;his co-workers happily blow bubbles, but and#8220;the next day the mixture was as hard as a rock.and#8221; But with time, and#8220;top secret ingredients,and#8221; and the now classic pink coloring, he finally nails it: at a mom-and-pop store, kids blow bubbles for the first time. McCarthyand#8217;s thickly painted acrylic cartoons create an expressive 1920s backdrop with bug-eyed characters dressed in the eraand#8217;s fashions. A closing section supplies numerous facts about gum. Unlike its subject matter, this history lesson is easily digestible. - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, May 3, 2010
Review
"A sweetly told, worthy taleand#8212;the world needs more heroes like Walter." - andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;KIRKUSandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"What a good idea for a book! Kids who enjoy blowing gum bubbles may never have considered how the treat came to be, but here, in easy language and with amusing illustrations, McCarthy changes that." --BOOKLIST
Review
A sweetly told, worthy tale—the world needs more heroes like Walter." -
KIRKUS "What a good idea for a book! Kids who enjoy blowing gum bubbles may never have considered how the
treat came to be, but here, in easy language and with amusing illustrations, McCarthy changes that." --BOOKLIST Picture books make the perfect introduction to some subjects. "Pop!" will tell young readers all they need to know about the reinvention of one of history's most popular treats, and the witty drawings tell the rest.--New York Times, August 15th 2010.
Review
"Picture books make the perfect introduction to some subjects. "Pop!" will tell young readers all they need to know about the reinvention of one of history's most popular treats, and the witty drawings tell the rest." --New York Times, August 15th 2010.
Review
HORN BOOK Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy; illus. by the author Primary Wiseman/Simon 40 pp. 5/10 978-1-4169-7970-8 $15.99 Although chewing gum dates back over nine thousand years, it wasn't until 1928 that mild-mannered accountant by day and inventor by night Walter Diemer introduced bubble gum to the American public. And the rest is history, with over forty million pieces of bubble gum now sold daily. McCarthy's light-as-air biography covers a popular topic and a likable ("I've done something with my life...I've made kids happy around the world") hero whose success comes through hard work, perseverance, and ingenuity. McCarthy's signature round-faced characters, with spherical insectlike eyes, suggest a number of gumballs playfully rolling across each page. Initial dark backgrounds reflect the dismal state of the pre-bubble-gum factory, while bright colors signal the perfected product as business booms. An author's note about the inventor extends the slight text; interesting facts about chewing gum continue the good-humored theme; a bibliography completes the back matter. BETTY CARTER
Review
This picture-book biography of the inventor of bubblegum is equal parts informative and entertaining. With appropriately simple but engaging prose, McCarthy relates how accountant Walter Diemer began and#8220;playing with different mixturesand#8221; in the late 1920s at the candy factory where he worked and eventually discovered a gum that bubbled. Judicious use of the inventorand#8217;s own words helps to convey his enthusiastic personality. Along with Diemerand#8217;s story, the author also covers a bit of gum history, the trial-and-error of invention, and the excitement that comes with a successful final product, all with just the right level of detail. Appealing acrylic cartoon illustrations fill this snippet of history with a sense of fun. The prominent curves of smiling faces and circular eyes and heads stand out against heavy lines and angles to fill each scene with playfulness that matches the subject. Rich colors capture the lighthearted joy of bubble blowers, both old and young, while contrasting darker tones reflect the drama of the inventorand#8217;s lab work. A closing spread offers further information about Diemerand#8217;s life, more fun facts about gum, and a full list of sources. Although the man will be unfamiliar to young readers, they know his invention well, and will appreciate his unexpected but well-earned success. McCarthyand#8217;s on-target presentation makes this a strong choice for elementary biography assignments, booktalking, or just plain nonfiction fun. -- SLJ, May 2010, *STAR
Synopsis
Gum. It's been around for centuries--from the ancient Greeks to the American Indians, everyone's chewed it. But the best kind of gum--bubble gum --wasn't invented until 1928, when an enterprising young accountant at Fleer Gum and Candy used his spare time to experiment with different recipes. Bubble-blowing kids everywhere will be delighted with Megan McCarthy's entertaining pictures and engaging fun facts as they learn the history behind the pink perfection of Dubble Bubble.
Synopsis
Gum. Itand#8217;s been around for centuriesand#8212;from the ancient Greeks to the American Indians, everyoneand#8217;s chewed it. But the best kind of gumand#8212;bubble gum!and#8212;wasnand#8217;t invented until 1928, when an enterprising young accountant at Fleer Gum and Candy used his spare time to experiment with different recipes. Bubble-blowing kids everywhere will be delighted with Megan McCarthyand#8217;s entertaining pictures and engaging fun facts as they learn the history behind the pink perfection of Dubble Bubble.
About the Author
Meghan McCarthy is the award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children, including andlt;iandgt;Earmuffs for Everyone: How Chester Arthur Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffsandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skeltonandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gumandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;City Hawk: The Story of Pale Maleandlt;/iandgt;; and andlt;iandgt;Seabiscuit the Wonder Horseandlt;/iandgt;. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at Meghan-McCarthy.com.Meghan McCarthy is the award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children, including andlt;iandgt;Earmuffs for Everyone: How Chester Arthur Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffsandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skeltonandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gumandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;City Hawk: The Story of Pale Maleandlt;/iandgt;; and andlt;iandgt;Seabiscuit the Wonder Horseandlt;/iandgt;. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at Meghan-McCarthy.com.