May 7, 2018
Kangaroo loves to blow bubbles, and when a trail of them leads her to Koala, a fellow bubble blower, she’s eager to be friends. Unfortunately, her exuberant hellos and gifts are met with silence; Koala even climbs a tree to avoid Kangaroo. It soon becomes clear that Koala’s lack of reciprocation isn’t indifference, but shyness, and before long, the two are wordlessly exchanging bubble animals. However, their “happy bubble party” takes a turn when the bubbles combine and form a giant green monster that begins to chase Kangaroo. Just in time, Koala summons courage and jumps down from the tree to help Kangaroo vanquish the bubble monster with a big pop. With spare, precise text and softly colored, delicate watercolor-and-ink illustrations, Chase (Oliver’s Tree) thoughtfully captures the way a new friendship can tentatively unfold, and her depiction of Koala’s initial uncertainty lends the book particular emotional depth. United by bubbles, the two friends celebrate with, what else, bubble gum—“and they blew bubbles happily ever after.” Ages 3–7. Agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Bookmark Literary.
May 1, 2018
Patience pays off for a persistent young kangaroo trying to make friends with a shy koala. Like many young children, "Kangaroo love[s] to blow bubbles." Both the pail she dips her bubble wand into and the bubbles she blows are a soft blue. When she notices yellow bubbles floating by, she follows them and is thrilled to find a little koala with a yellow pail. Koala, however, is not so enthusiastic. In fact, Koala retreats up a tree and rebuffs Kangaroo's friendly overtures. Temporarily daunted, Kangaroo retreats. When she sees more yellow bubbles heading her way, Kangaroo returns to find that Koala is now willing to interact, though still from a distance. After an unexpected development, Koala finds the courage to take the lead. Chase's straightforward and conversational text has an appealing rhythm created in part through repetition. In addition to accurately depicting the action, her watercolor-and-pen-and-ink illustrations add humor and heart. The pictures feature charming, childlike characters in a lightly sketched pastoral setting placed against generous amounts of white space. Though simple, they convey emotion effectively and capture Kangaroo's bouncy enthusiasm, Koala's initial fearful timidity, and Koala's brave determination afterward. Adorable animals, a succinct and amusing text, and a happy ending ensure that the author/illustrator's fans will enjoy her latest outing--and will likely win her some new ones too. (Picture book. 2-5)
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June 1, 2018
PreS-K-Kangaroo loves to blow bubbles, and one day she follows a trail of mysterious bubbles to Koala. But Koala is shy, and none of kangaroo's overtures of friendship work. Sadly, Kangaroo walks away to blow more bubbles, and soon Koala is blowing them back. But when the bubbles stick together to make a bubble monster, Koala finds his courage, and comes down to help Kangaroo pop them. The two become friends and happily blow bubble gum bubbles together. The engaging cartoon animals are rounded and sweetly appealing with dot eyes, bright pink cheeks, and expressive faces and body language. Chase makes great use of the primarily stark white backgrounds, emphasizing the characters, using the bubbles to draw the eye across the page, and encouraging page turns. The mixture of full-bleed spreads and spot art visually tell the story. VERDICT This gently engaging tale will strike a chord with young children; the brief text and large pictures work well in a group setting as well as one-on-one.-Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2019
Kangaroo and Koala both enjoy blowing bubbles, but Koala is too shy to talk to Kangaroo or climb out of her tree. However, when some of their bubbles stick together to form a bubble monster, Koala musters the courage to help her new friend. Delicate watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations depict the rosy-cheeked animal tykes' sweet friend-courtship and keep even the bubble monster looking more cute than scary.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)