 |
First, there’s regular chewing gum. Then, there’s bubble gum—perfect for blowing bubbles. And finally, best of all, is blue bubble gum. This adorable picture book celebrates just that—in all its messy, marvelous, sticky, gooey glory. The treat sometimes sticks to cars’ tires, while all kinds of weather can fall upon wadded-up discarded pieces. Birds and animals may try to eat it, and children sometimes accidentally swallow it whole. It can easily stick to shoes, clothing, and even in somebody’s hair. That’s never any fun. Gum, of course, is for chewing. Blue bubble gum is perfect for blowing a big blue bubble until the sticky creation pops, leaving pieces all over one’s face. As author Goldner's book suggests, it’s always best to spit the gum out, enclosing it safely in a wrapper and then properly throwing it away when finished.
With simple drawings accompanying the text, this book is well-suited for very young children. The focus is clearly contained on one silly thing only—the fun (and possible messiness) of chewing and popping bubble gum (blue gum, in particular), which is wadded up and placed into the eager, wide-open mouth of a child, as the artwork humorously illustrates. Goldner’s elementary diction, sometimes containing a single action word per page (such as “Chew,” “Blow!” and “Oh!”), is perfectly poised to entertain the youngest of young—including newborns and babies—with whom this book is shared aloud. Parents, grandparents, and caregivers of any type should surely have a blast reading and re-reading this brief, fun, memorable salute to the oddly satisfying phenomena of chewing gum and blowing big, beautiful bubbles, even those resulting in a wacky, sticky mess upon the face. Laughter will likely ensue between entertained child and adult readers alike.