Synopses & Reviews
Chavela loves chomping chicleandmdash;chewing gum. And she loves blowing bubbles even more. One day, while out with her abuelita, she finds a mysterious kind of gum sheandrsquo;s never seen before. She pops it in her mouth and blows a giant bubble that lifts her up into the air and carries her on a magical journey.
Luscious, candy-colored paintings illustrate this fantastical story with an ecological twist. An afterword provides information on natural chewing gum, the rainforest, and sustainable farming, as well as music to a traditional Latin American folksong.
Review
and#8220;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
Review
andquot;The story's sense and wit are most fully expressed in the text, but the character's actions and emotions are most memorably portrayed in the artwork... A fine picture book with a fierce, bold, and (deep down) compassionate heroine.andquot;andmdash;Booklist
andquot;Emotionally true from cover to cover.andquot;andmdash;Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review
andquot;Birdsall's crisp and delightful first picture book....believable characters, a tightly constructed story line, and a nod to past children's literature.andquot;andmdash;Publishers Weekly
andquot;This gem of a book will resonate with older siblings everywhere.andquot;andmdash;School Library Journal
Review
"Magic realism blends with rain-forest conservation in this picture book about a young Latina girl who travels, across time and space, from the U.S. to Mexico at the time when her grandmother grew up there...Kids will want to chew their own bubblegum as they listen to this exciting magical journey, handsomely illustrated in brilliantly colored double-page spreads."--Booklist
"Chavela, who loves chewing gum, buys a pack of "Magic Chicle," and the enormous pink bubble she blows propels her over the jungles of the Yucatan...Morales's luminous acrylics in rich, candy hues infuse it with a homespun magic."--Publishers Weeklyand#160;
Review
"An inspired flight of fancy." Publishers Weekly, Starred
"[A] rollicking, rhyming treat from the uniquely talented Mahy, winner of the 2006 Hans Christian Andersen Award." Kirkus Reviews, Starred
"Like Shel Silverstein's poetry, Mahy's exuberant rhyme bounces with nonsensical humor and begs for guitar accompaniment." Booklist, ALA
"A delightfully optimistic, entertaining crowd-pleaser." School Library Journal
"Illustrations as zany as the chair's bounty accompany this giddy rhyming tale." Horn Book Guide
Review
"The winning duo Lester and Munsinger have done it again. The snappy text is laugh-aloud funny and incorporates a message that the intended audience often needs to hear."--Booklist, starred review "Team Lester/Munsinger are a success because they are simple, direct and elementally charming."--Kirkus "Lester's prose is dashed with humor throughout, as is Munsinger's characteristically emotive artwork."--Publishers Weekly "The message is forthright, but the delivery, as always, is subtle and nuanced, and loads of fun."--School Library Journal "This playful approach to important lessons in sharing and listening is a sure winner for classrooms and families alike."--Bulletin
Synopsis
Withand#160;a poetic, rhyming and#160;text, a silly story, and cheerfuland#160;artwork, this Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winning picture book is a must-have for paperback collections.and#160;A perfect read-aloudand#160;for story time from internationally acclaimed author Margaret Mahy.
Synopsis
"Read this aloud and expect a lot of giggles and calls for a repeat performance."--
Horn Book, starred review
Little Mabel blew a bubble, and it caused a lot of trouble . . . When little Mabel's bubble gets away from her, it's her baby brother who gets into trouble. Soon he's floating out of the house, above the fence, and all over town It's up to Mabel, Mother, and the rest of the townspeople to get him safely back down. Who knew that so much trouble could come from one little bubble?
Synopsis
“A frothy, effervescent gift.” -
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“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.” Ebullient rhymes, joyful illustrations, and a village full of delightful characters, now in a paperback edition. Winner of the 2009 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Best Picture Book!
Synopsis
andlt;add starandgt; "Read this aloud and expect a lot of giggles and calls for a repeat performance."and#8212;Horn Book, starred review Little Mabel blew a bubble, and it caused a lot of trouble . . . When little Mabeland#8217;s bubble gets away from her, itand#8217;s her baby brother who gets into trouble. Soon heand#8217;s floating out of the house, above the fence, and all over town! Itand#8217;s up to Mabel, Mother, and the rest of the townspeople to get him safely back down. Who knew that so much trouble could come from one little bubble?
Synopsis
Swoop and soar your way to this batty bookfest!and#160;
Synopsis
Join the free-for-all fun at the public library with these book-loving bats! Shape shadows on walls, frolic in the water fountain, and roam the book-filled halls until itand#8217;s time for everyone, young and old, to settle down into the enchantment of story time. Brian Liesand#8217;s joyful critters and their nocturnal celebration cast library visits in a new light. Even the youngest of readers will want to join the batty book-fest!
Synopsis
When Flora and her pesky little brother, Crispin, are whisked away by a swirling and swooping wind, she gets the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to give her brother away. With tempting offers from a dragonfly, the man in the moon, and even the wind itself, she will find it difficult to choose. But Flora would do anything to get rid of Crispin, wouldnandrsquo;t she?
Jeanne Birdsallandrsquo;s utterly charming picture book debut takes flight in Matt Phelanandrsquo;s twisting, twirling watercolors, brimming with wit and whimsy.
Synopsis
When Dad loses his car keys, little Mary suggests they might be down the back of the chair. Join in the fun as Dad begins the search, finding everything from a hairy string to a diamond ringand#151;and much, much more! Could the solution to all the familyand#8217;s problems be down the back of the chair?
A lively rhyming text and quirky art come together in this visual explosion of fun and imagination.
Synopsis
In this hilarious picture book, best-selling author/illustratorand#160;team Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger (Tacky the Penguin)and#160;teach Greedy Gruntly that sharing just might have its own rewards!
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;