Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum (review)

Believe it or not, there was once a world without bubble gum, until the Fleer Candy Company invented the stuff. McCarthy (author of picture-book nonfiction titles such as Seabiscuit, BCCB 11/08) follows the experimental exploits of Walter Diemer, in the 1920s one of the Fleer Company accountants, who became fascinated with the creation process. Finally managing to concoct a successful recipe for gum that allowed its chewer to blow bubbles, Diemer then saw his invention take off in popularity and become one of America's best-known treats. This is a lip-smacking combination of little-known story and kid-pleasing subject, and McCarthy spins her tale with just the right combination of history (including a brief foray into the history of chewing gum in general) and immediacy. An excited you-are-there tone ("Finally something was happening! Bubbles! Big, glorious bubbles!") and well-chosen quotes ("We were blowing bubbles and prancing all over the place!") add vitality, and it doesn't hurt that Walter seems to have been a generally enjoyable guy, in retirement riding around on a giant tricycle and inviting kids over for bubble-blowing contests. The illustrations create a period flavor with their subdued earth-toned acrylics, and there's a tidy geometry to the neat, strong lines that outline figures and elements. Sly humor abounds in the poker-faced expressions of the bubble-blowers and in McCarthy's trademark bulging-eyed people, here blowing bubbles that add even more roundness to their multiply spherical heads. The title's subject and style will make it an effective readalone as well as a readaloud; it's up to you if you dare to let audiences celebrate its completion with a satisfying pop! The book concludes with additional information about Walter Diemer, a collection of trivia about gum (mostly non-bubble), and source notes for quoted material.