Thursday, November 16, 2006

Who Is Melvin Bubble?

Who Is Melvin Bubble? by Nick Bruel.

The Plot: Who is Melvin Bubble? If you want plot-driven picture books, this is not for you. Jimmy asks the author to write a book about his friend, Melvin Bubble; and here, the assorted people in Melvin's life answer the question: Who Is Melvin Bubble?

The Good: It's fun! This is my first Nick Bruel book, and now I'm putting holds on his other titles.

The author gets testimonials from a number of people: Mom, Dad, best friend Jimmy, even Santa Claus and the Three Eyed Monster Living In The Closet. The artwork is awesome, with the type of little details I adore. When Santa mentions the toys he has brought Melvin, check the other pages and you'll see those toys in Melvin's bedroom and other places.

Some of the jokes are for adults: the Three Eyed Monster is reading a book called To Serve Melvin.

The different (sometimes at odds) portraits end up introducing us to one boy, Melvin. I look forward to using this as a read-aloud.

Links: BookPage Interview.

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