This Book Bubbles Over: From the Ocean to Mars and Everywhere In Between

by Nora Nickum, Robert Meganck (illustrator)

This book really pops, full as it is of fascinating bubbles—useful and entertaining, noisy and silencing, lifesaving and dangerous, microscopic and bigger than a sports stadium.

What is a bubble? A puff of air, a swirl of gas, temporarily trapped in something else. Perhaps just moments away from popping and disappearing forever.

A bubble might look flimsy and insubstantial. But there’s more to it than that.

A bubble can. . .
Last a long time, like the bubble wrap that cushions packages
Or pop right away, like a soap bubble

It can be inside. . .
A liquid, like boiling water
Or a solid, like a loaf of bread

A bubble can be. . .
Lifesaving, like firefighting foam
Or dangerous, like the bubble nets whales form to capture fish

Delve into bubbles in this follow-up from the team behind This Book Is Full of Holes. Filled with fascinating and unusual examples from diverse STEM fields—including physics, biology, geology, food science, and medicine—this book bubbles over with fun facts about our world.

Back matter includes an author's note about the research process, language arts connections, and information about how surface tension makes fun soap bubbles possible.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Physics, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 11, 2025

About the author

Nora Nickum is a children’s author from Washington state. She writes picture books and middle-grade books, and her stories and articles have also appeared in children's magazines like Cricket, Ladybug, and Muse. In addition to being a writer, Nora leads the conservation programs department at the Seattle Aquarium.

Reviews

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered how bubble wrap is made? What makes bubble gum different from regular chewing gum? What do you need to add to soap bubbles to make them last longer? Find out the answers to these questions and more in THIS BOOK BUBBLES OVER.

Each page explains a type of bubble, the shape of a bubble, or what bubbles can do to help people or animals. You’ll even find some knowledge about the word “bubble” and the various ways it is used in the English language to mean different things.

Try making whipped cream or bread with your child and look for the bubbles. Need to boil water for pasta? Show your child how the water boils and bubbles. Where else can you find bubbles in your everyday adventures?

I was especially interested to learn how doctors are using bubbles to deliver medicine to a specific spot in the body. Medicine bubbles are injected into a vein, and then, through ultrasound technology and magnets, the bubbles can be transferred to the exact spot where the ultrasound can be turned up to pop the bubbles, releasing the medicine right where the tumor or other infection might be.

Short, factual paragraphs combined with interesting illustrations will hold kids’ attention and keep them curious and wanting to learn more about bubbles. Read this book with your child and then give them a bubble bath or take them outside and blow some bubbles!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and educational a tough combination to achieve effectively!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and attractively illustrated account of a natural phenomenon that that can be very familiar but also extends to new areas of interest. This means it's understandable but also opens up new viewpoints. Great for kids and also for adults reading to kids.

[Darcy Pattison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible, deep dive into the world of bubbles. And they are everywhere!
It's a perfect book for the curious child who wants to know about bubbles in earth, in space, and in unexpected places. Highly recommended.

[Kerry Aradhya · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are curious about bubbles, this book is for you. And if you haven't really wondered about them before, you certainly will after reading this book. The illustrations are playful and engaging, and the text is so, so interesting and informative. The book starts out with a simple scientific explanation of what a bubble is, and then dives deeply into all sorts of bubbles -- bubbles in whipped cream and in bread dough, bubbles under water and in outer space, tiny bubbles and enormous bubbles, and every other kind of bubble you could possibly imagine. One of the facts I loved learning was that there is a type of snail that lives in the ocean but can't swim. It uses bubbles to build a raft, and then it clings to the raft to move through the water. How cool is that! This book is perfect for engaging kids in science and deeper learning, and would pair well with THIS BOOK IS FULL OF HOLES by the same author/illustrator duo!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating fun! Nora Nickum and Robert Meganck team up for a fascinating deep dive into a topic "bubbling" over with possibility. Few children--or parents, teachers, or librarians—will l be able to resist! Who doesn’t love bubbles? The book covers all types of bubbles, from the familiar ones created by bubble gum or soapy bathwater to obscure animal adaptations like the bubbly snot of a violet snail or the bubble nets created by humpback whales. Nickum’s two levels of text paired with Meganck’s detailed, whimsical illustrations invite exploration at all levels, ensuring that readers will want to return again and again to absorb more with each reading. Some of my favorite features include “bubbly” expressions in the English language and an overview of the research process in the back matter. This is a must-read for science lovers of all ages.

[Heather Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

What child (or adult) doesn’t love blowing some bubbles! That alone might draw you to this fun and fascinating book. But who knew there were SO many kinds of bubbles! Nickum’s engaging text immediately sucks you in and keeps you turning the pages. We learn right away what a bubble is and that a bubble can be noisy, delicious, useful, and dangerous. I love the layered text which works perfectly for younger readers and older readers who want to learn more. This book indeed bubbles over with amazing facts and fun surprises, like how the star-nosed mole uses bubbles to smell underwater and how bubbles can change the weather and the history of the Earth or life on Mars! Meganck’s fun illustrations are an ideal match for this lively STEM book!

[Megan Clendenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and surprising look at bubbles! Starting with a useful and fun definition of what exactly a bubble is, the book goes on to give wide-ranging examples from many fields: biology, geology, medicine – and many more. Using a layered text approach with short phrases at the top of the page that show readers contrasting aspects of bubbles, for example, protective or dangerous, tiny or enormous, and then detailed information at the bottom of the page, the book will appeal to both younger and older (including adult!) readers. A fantastic conversation starter that will get readers looking for bubbles in all sorts of new places!

[Ann Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book begins with the definition of a bubble and then goes from page to page pointing out new popables and the fascinating facts about them. Nickum asks engaging, thought-provoking questions which will lead to fun classroom and family discussions and possible guesses. Meganck’s larger than life illustrations pull young readers in with movement and humor. This book is so unique and includes every kind of bubble out there. Early elementary classrooms can read the book a few pages at a time. Older readers will devour it in one sitting. The back matter offers even more irresistible information about bubbles.

[Eve Costarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get the full low-down on bubbles! Bubbles are AMAZING-they are never mundane! I adore the really cute cartoonish cast of characters and the cover art is totally captivating. Inside this book is every fact you've ever wanted to know (and many more) about the amazing bubble! What bubbles are? Where we find them? What they are used for? How you can eat them?! A great STEM/STEAM book. Each illustration just bubbles forth with yes bubbles!

There are some very informative author's notes at the end, filled with scince facts and fun dive into the use of the owrd "bubble". Very informative and fun!

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never thought very deeply about bubbles. They are fun and were certainly a huge part of my toddler survival kit as both a teacher and mom, but that was about the extent of my consideration for bubbles until I read this fascinating book. Nora Nickum carefully crafted her writing with two layers of text; the first that works as a read aloud and a second paragraph of text on each page that offers more information to study. This picture book is full of classroom ties and learning potential. From bubble wrap and soap, to undersea volcanoes and neoprene foam, this nonfiction book leaves no bubbly science un-popped.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cleverly written with puns galore as well as creative design and appealing digital artwork, this picture book offers an entirely new look at bubbles. Each of the facing pages has contrasting characteristics of bubbles; for instance, that they can be protective or dangerous. Upon finishing the book, readers will realize that bubbles aren't as simple as they might have thought and they have more impact than might be expected from something so simple. There's even a page describing all the ways that the word "bubble" pops up in the English language. This is such an entertaining book, a nice companion to This Book is Full of Holes.

[Katie Furze · Rating 5 out of 5]

This companion title to ‘This Book is Full of Holes’ is just as good! It is beautifully written, illustrated and designed, beginning with an intriguing title and lovely endpapers, it tackles the subject of bubbles by contrasting two different types of bubbles on each spread using fascinating examples – such as space suits, volcanoes and the short-beaked echidna. The result is a playful and surprising read, and I learned a lot in the process. A great book to dip in and out of - highly recommended for young readers.

[Kelsey Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK BUBBLES OVER offers an engaging and wide-ranging look at bubbles found in the animal, human, and natural worlds. Kids will learn more about the science behind bubbles they regularly encounter, and about new bubbles too. Nickum’s writing is perfectly kid-centric and breaks down difficult concepts in an accessible way. Meganck’s vibrant art brings all the concepts to life. This book is sure to spark kids’ curiosity and will encourage them to be keen observers of their world. I highly recommend this fantastic STEM book for school and home bookshelves!

[Martha Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize there were so many types of bubbles and how some bubbles are important for weather, safety, animal life, and a lot more. This book is bubbling over with fun facts and makes you think about things you took for granted, like whipped cream and soap. It will also make readers more observant when they see water foam, ocean waves, and lava rocks. The author and illustrator really did their research to find so many different types of bubbles and explain them in a way children (and adults) can understand. An excellent STEM book for research and reading for fun.

[Christine Zandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these fascinating facts about something so seemingly simple like bubbles. For example, the short-beaked echidna blows bubbles from its pointy nose and, when the bubbles pop, they cover ist nose with snot which then dissapates and cools this cutie down! We learn about bubbles that are everything you can imagine and more: big, small, hot, cold, a sphere, a hexagon, liquid, solid, and more. There's a lot to learn. Lively art accompanies each scene and there's even more info in the back. This is a book you can "pop" into time and again, always discovering something new.

[Kirsten Pendreigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness this book is so fun and fascinating! From echidna snot bubbles to bubblewrap to whale hunting bubbles Nickum takes readers on a deep dive not just into the world of bubbles but into the science of why they form, and what they do. She seems to anticipate exactly what kids would want to know about each kind of bubble. I especially loved her author's note which is so inviting to kids. It gives them a sense of how authors get hooked on a topic. They can also see how Nickum found an actual bubble expert! So cool! Highly recommend!!

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bubbles are everywhere—in the ocean, on Mars, in your whipped cream. You know there are tiny bubbles, but have you ever heard of bubbles larger than a stadium? There are bubbles that put out fires, bubbles that make your bread fluffy, bubbles that keep you warm. In Nora Nickum’s book, This Book Bubbles Over, readers can learn all about these natural wonders and even manipulate a few themselves. The illustrations by Robert Meganck are adorable, sure to attract kids to this fact-filled book and learn amazing facts very few people know about bubbles.

[Kris Coronado · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bubble. Small and simple, right? Hardly! The intriguing facts in this book kept popping up one after another. I was intrigued more and more with each page turn and know my curious kiddos will be tickled by this atypical and creative exploration of all kinds of bubbles. Dolphin games? Mars science? Too cool! Read this book and you too will bubble over with all sorts of fascinating bubble facts to share with friends. Highly recommend!

[Leslie Barnard Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This fantastic book about bubbles will have curious kids enthralled! Fun facts abound in this energetic book surveying different forms bubbles take and different contexts in which they arise. What IS a bubble, truly? How do bubbles shape our world? Find out in this endlessly interesting book covering topics ranging from physics to biology to geology, all presented in an engaging, clear, kid-friendly way! Highly recommend!

[Lynn Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bubbles are everywhere! From bubble gum to whipped cream in a can to firefighting foams, this fun and accessible book for young readers is full of STEM information about the properties of, and many uses for, bubbles. Colorful, thought-provoking illustrations. Educational for adults, too! Back matter includes further research suggestions.

[Lisa Varchol Varchol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating companion title to This Book is Full of Holes. Layered text allows the reader to choose how much detail to take in on each spread, with the main text contrasting different types/functions of bubbles and sidebars offering a wealth of intriguing detail. There's even additional back matter that includes bubble idioms!

[Jessica Stremer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous book by Nickum! Who knew there was so much to learn about bubbles. This book is has layered text, providing a bite-size header of info coupled with more detailed information about the featured bubble lower on the page. It's really fascinating and you can tell the author was thoughtful and diligent in her research. Highly recommend for any home or school library.

[Lydia Lukidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book Bubbles Over is such a great and fun concept! Nora Nickum does a great job of describing various bubbles in different contexts, some of which will surprise readers. I love the sidebars with additional information and the way each concept is relayed in a child friendly way. Robert Meganck's illustrations pair well with the text. A fun way to learn!

[Sandhya Acharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

All you ever wanted to know about bubbles! Bubbles you see every day, bubbles you never thought about or knew about - everything is covered and explained in such a fun and relatable way. Illustrations are playful and add to the text. Kids are going to love this - especially right before (or after) a bubble bath!

[Dan Ferm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nora Nickum's latest fun and informative book for young readers (and listeners) is ALL about bubbles, of every kind, shape, and size. With support from Robert Meganck's engaging illustrations, Nickum explores and explains in accessible language how bubbles happen and the myriad different ways animals have evolved and people have figured out how to make use of bubbles, large and small, in and outside the body, and on this and even other planets. Fascinating stuff!

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars (I really liked it)

Never thought I needed a book all about bubbles but here we are. I like how the larger text goes with opposites. Then there is more detail in the smaller text on each page. In my opinion, I think that the book gets a little too technical at times so the intended audience. However, I found it really interesting.

[Marc Kuchner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the facial expressions on the people and animals in this book. Their bemused, startled, nervous, determined, and gleeful expressions reveal the many roles bubbles play in our lives. There's no way you could read this book and not learn something surprising.

[Shruthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book bubbles over with surprises and mind-blowing information!! Kids will learn about bubbles that they are familiar with, and bubbles they wouldn't have expected were bubbles!
Well-researched, well-presented. Highly recommend!

[Carrie Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book bubbles over with fascinating, scientific facts about bubbles! I learned so much and enjoyed it along the way.