Bubba and Beau, Best Friends [Paperback]

Kathi Appelt (Author), Arthur Howard (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up | Series: Bubba And Beau

Bubba, a brand-new Texas baby, and Beau, a brand-new Texas puppy, are best friends who share lots of adventures.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When baby Bubba is born, his father, Big Bubba, "revved up Earl, his trusty pickup truck, and honked the horn as loud as he could." Likewise, when puppy Beau arrives, bloodhound Maurice "threw his head back and began to bay." The proud human and canine poppas are shown howling together in the bed of the pickup. Following this celebration, Bubba and Beau become inseparable. In brief chapters, the buddies crawl in the mud, inhale the "smelly smell" of their shared blanket and seem stunned after Bubba's Mama Pearl gives them a soapy scrubbing. "Sister, those two got along," writes Appelt (Elephants Aloft), warmly conveying the twosome's attachment. Howard (Hoodwinked), who sketches in a loose charcoal line and transparent watercolor, shows the characters sticking together; a curious Beau watches Bubba and vice versa during the bath sequence. Howard alludes to a Texas setting by placing a state flag on Earl's antenna and longhorns on the hood plus picturing Big Bubba in a ranch shirt, with a belly that overlaps his belt buckle. All the hounds wear bandannas, and Mama Pearl looks comfy in scuffed cowboy boots and a housedress when she hangs out the wash. Appelt's fond voice and Howard's good-humored drawings combine to suggest an easygoing, distinctly Texan family life. Ages 2-5.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-This five-chapter picture book introduces Bubba, a baby boy; his parents; and Beau, their puppy. The author highlights the youngsters' similarities: they're both keen on chewing, neither one is house-trained, and they both disdain soap. It turns out that Bubba has "the best blankie." He and Beau play with it and especially like its smell-until Mama Pearl gives it a wash. "Its cottony-soft turned soggy. Its snappity-snap turned flat." And, worse yet, it smells like soap. Still "in a washing mood," Mama scoops up both the child and the pup to bathe them. Both are shell-shocked until she gives them back the blanket, "pinky-pink" and "toasty-warm." "Best of all, it smelled just like Bubba and Beau-best friends!" This book is a delight. The text is breezy, clever, and concrete. It expands on the emotional turmoil surrounding washing day by creating two characters that thrive not just because of their connection to a favorite possession, but because of the love they have for one another. Howard's loose, jaunty cartoon illustrations capture the heart of the text to a tee. And while the Texas drawl sets a humorous tone, the pictures expand on the fun through the facial expressions and body positioning of the protagonists. With a seamless partnership between text and art, this book is right on.
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (March 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152055800
• ISBN-13: 978-0152055806
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #746,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bubba & Beau May Become Your Child's New Best Friends, November 8, 2004

By 

Aunt Kiki (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bubba and Beau, Best Friends (Hardcover)

Appelt's funny and charming tale of the almost simultaneous birth and budding friendship between a boy named Bubba and a puppy named Beau is heartwarming and enchanting. With no apparent idea that they are different species, these naïve babies" bond over their shared first traumas - i.e., the laundering of their beloved "blankie" and their own first baths. Howard's simple charcoal and watercolor renderings of Bubba and Beau could capture the heart of the most hardened soul. Their eyes, expressions, and movements are all enchanting. Howard's equally charming and amusing renderings of the human and dog parents and the Texas ranch where the story takes place provide the "icing on the cake." The result is a book that oozes with life, warmth, security, friendship, and love. Child judges awarded it the 2002 Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature. To accommodate short attention spans, Appelt has even broken the story up into five well-defined chapters. Readers wanting more of Bubba and Beau will not be disappointed - there are already two sequels, Bubba and Beau Go Night Night and Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives. Highly recommended for ages 18 months to 4 years.

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Cute!, August 23, 2011

By 

kdw - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bubba and Beau, Best Friends (Hardcover)

I love the wording of these books! My girls think the characters are very funny especially when I use my best southern accent!

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute!, August 27, 2010

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bubba and Beau, Best Friends (Paperback)

Bubba (the baby) and Beau (the puppy) were both born about the same time, and they quickly became the best of friends. But, one day, Bubba's mother decides that it is time to wash Bubba's blanket, which seems to totally ruin it. And, to make matters worse, she goes on to wash Bubba and Beau as well. Is there anything that can save this day? You might be surprised!

This is a cute and very funny book. The character cute and the illustration work quite good. My little reader sure enjoyed this book, and so did I! (Babies and puppies, what's not to love?) We both highly recommend this cute little book!