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Bubbles . . . UP!: A Celebratory Picture Book About Pool Day Fun and Sibling Bravery for Kids
An everyday visit to the pool transforms into an unforgettable celebration of the water in this remarkable picture book from Jacqueline Davies, the award-winning author of children's classic The Lemonade War, and Sonia Sánchez, the illustrator of Meg Medina's Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away.
A day at the community pool is full of unwater magic—dunking and diving with friends; somersaulting, walking on your hands, and bursting up through the surface like a tortoise. But when a thunderstorm comes and a little brother ventures too close to the pool’s edge, will our main character be quick enough and brave enough to save the day?
In this energetic read-aloud, the words swim off the pages as the underwater world comes to life through lush, dynamic illustrations and visual poetry. Journey to an imaginative world where, always and forever, bubbles . . . rise . . . UP!
A day at the community pool is full of unwater magic—dunking and diving with friends; somersaulting, walking on your hands, and bursting up through the surface like a tortoise. But when a thunderstorm comes and a little brother ventures too close to the pool’s edge, will our main character be quick enough and brave enough to save the day?
In this energetic read-aloud, the words swim off the pages as the underwater world comes to life through lush, dynamic illustrations and visual poetry. Journey to an imaginative world where, always and forever, bubbles . . . rise . . . UP!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 2021
3 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Davies
44 books268 followersJacqueline Davies is the author of both novels and picture books. She lives in Needham, Massachusetts with her three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
August 23, 2021
A book that celebrates the joy off swimming at the pool in the summer? Yes, please! I found this book to be completely full of the joy and wonder every kid feels playing underwater at the local pool. I remember doing many of the exact same things at the pool with my friends and found myself smiling to myself, knowing that I was not alone in my love for this activity. The story is told in a verse that is equally freeing and descriptive. The illustrations are fantastic and really capture the effervescent nature of the bubbles in the water. Kids of all ages will enjoy this picture book!
Find it today: https://ent.sharelibraries.info/clien...
Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
Find it today: https://ent.sharelibraries.info/clien...
Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
October 29, 2021
Boisterous and fun with energetic wordplay and textured art. Surprisingly chewy for a book about swimming in a community pool, and contains a smaller story nestled inside the larger one.
July 9, 2021
This picture book celebrates the joy of swimming in a pool on a hot summer day. Focusing on the bubbles created by heading underwater, the merry rhythms of the text bounce along like the bubbles heading to the surface. The bubbles capture the light of the sun until you follow them upwards, surfacing like a porpoise. You have a mom who stays at the side of the pool with your little brother who doesn’t swim yet. Interrupted by a thunderstorm, you huddle with the others in the shelter until it’s safe to return to the water with your friends. When your little brother loses his toy in the pool, you rescue it. You can’t stop for lots of mushy attention though, because you have to keep on swimming.
Sure to bring an immediate grin to kids who love to swim or play in the water, this picture book shares the small pleasures of swimming that make it such a treat. The bubbles heading to the surface, the jumping in, the floating, the diving, splashing and more. Davies’ writing is marvelous, full of repetition, rhythms and rhymes. Her words plunge, dive, swirl and create imaginary underwater worlds.
The illustrations are full of pool blues, sunshine and bubbles. Sanchez uses the words as part of her art, creating words that plunge down and float up. Her diverse cast of characters is delightful, everyone enjoying the pool together.
Dive into this summer delight of a picture book. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Sure to bring an immediate grin to kids who love to swim or play in the water, this picture book shares the small pleasures of swimming that make it such a treat. The bubbles heading to the surface, the jumping in, the floating, the diving, splashing and more. Davies’ writing is marvelous, full of repetition, rhythms and rhymes. Her words plunge, dive, swirl and create imaginary underwater worlds.
The illustrations are full of pool blues, sunshine and bubbles. Sanchez uses the words as part of her art, creating words that plunge down and float up. Her diverse cast of characters is delightful, everyone enjoying the pool together.
Dive into this summer delight of a picture book. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
August 21, 2021
If only swimming were still this much fun! Great rhyming text and the illustrations really make this picture book.
October 10, 2021
I happen to love bubbles, and shades of blue, and imagination, and waterscapes in general, so at first glance this book appeared to hit all my buttons. I had high expectations! And I can see the author and artist were trying to include all of my favorite things, but it just fell flat. This book didn't work for me.
The art is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, but Sanchez's art is not a style I enjoy, it's trying for that "childlike" look (the people don't have noses, they have nostrils - it was just weird). There are underwater fantasy scenes clearly pointing at a rich imagination at work, but the words don't do much to further that.
The plot is pretty basic: a young girl (a strong swimmer) plays in the community pool while her mother watches her little brother. As a parent, I was VERY worried that one of these kids was going to need a lifeguard rescue, because it just didn't look like enough parental supervision for such young children.
To my disappointment, only the first few pages mentioned bubbles, after that it was just a girl splashing around. Yes, I know, that sounds like a stupid and petty thing to complain about, but I REALLY love bubbles. The title and cover art promised me bubbles. They should have titled this "Splash and Jump!"
This would be the perfect book to read to a small child who is a bit apprehensive about starting swim lessons.
The art is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, but Sanchez's art is not a style I enjoy, it's trying for that "childlike" look (the people don't have noses, they have nostrils - it was just weird). There are underwater fantasy scenes clearly pointing at a rich imagination at work, but the words don't do much to further that.
The plot is pretty basic: a young girl (a strong swimmer) plays in the community pool while her mother watches her little brother. As a parent, I was VERY worried that one of these kids was going to need a lifeguard rescue, because it just didn't look like enough parental supervision for such young children.
To my disappointment, only the first few pages mentioned bubbles, after that it was just a girl splashing around. Yes, I know, that sounds like a stupid and petty thing to complain about, but I REALLY love bubbles. The title and cover art promised me bubbles. They should have titled this "Splash and Jump!"
This would be the perfect book to read to a small child who is a bit apprehensive about starting swim lessons.
June 8, 2021
This books is a celebration of having so much fun swimming at the local pool! It does talk about bubbles - "Mouth bubbles, nose bubbles, ear bubbles, rear bubbles!" because bubbles are a big part of swimming. I grew up in apartment complexes in Texas with pools and this book pretty accurately describes my summer pool fun without the younger sibling. Though the younger brother definitely adds a nice touch! Especially - the Rescue!
I think this is a great summer read aloud. It could be incorporated into a story time about swimming (pair it with Jabari Jumps!) or bubbles (Bubble Bath Pirates!) or just summer activities. Maybe - just maybe - a read aloud at the local pool? Just keep the book away from all those splashes.
I think this is a great summer read aloud. It could be incorporated into a story time about swimming (pair it with Jabari Jumps!) or bubbles (Bubble Bath Pirates!) or just summer activities. Maybe - just maybe - a read aloud at the local pool? Just keep the book away from all those splashes.
July 20, 2021
Great book! The story reminded me of my childhood.
Read
June 12, 2024I don't understand the purpose of "poetic" books for little kids. The book made sense to me, as an adult, but the strange style made it boring for my daughter.
June 25, 2022
This picture book absolutely needs to be read aloud. Better yet, multiple days in a row to a captive audience of two little sisters. You get the rhythm and can slow or speed up or turn up the volume as needed.
Also, the illustrations are spectacular!
Also, the illustrations are spectacular!
September 1, 2021
A book that celebrates the joy off swimming at the pool in the summer? Yes, please! I found this book to be completely full of the joy and wonder every kid feels playing underwater at the local pool. I remember doing many of the exact same things at the pool with my friends and found myself smiling to myself, knowing that I was not alone in my love for this activity. The story is told in a verse that is equally freeing and descriptive. The illustrations are fantastic and really capture the effervescent nature of the bubbles in the water. Kids of all ages will enjoy this picture book!
June 24, 2021
Fantastic summery fun. BUBBLES...UP! captures a summer day at the pool with delicious words and action. Jacqueline Davies' text is lyrical and energetic. Sonia Sanchez's illustrations which first drew me into this one do not disappoint. They are full of that same energy. They pop with texture and surprises. This book is such a fun celebration of swimming and the every day pleasures of a summer day.
May 31, 2021
A perfect summer read and for those who love to play in the pool!
July 6, 2021
Richie’s Picks: BUBBLES...UP! by Jacqueline Davies and Sonia Sanchez, ill., HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen, May 2021, 32p., ISBN: 978-0-06-283661-8
“We got no troubles
Life is the bubbles
Under the sea”
-- Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (1989)
Six-plus decades ago, my father scooped a big handful of coins out of his pocket, tossed them into that year’s backyard pool (approximately 30” deep) and challenged me to retrieve them. That’s when I learned the magic of underwater. Whether it be a bay or a backyard pool, underwater is where I long to be.
“In the middle of my busiest days I crave escape, preferably to another world. It sounds like science fiction, but even in central London it is possible to step through a boundary to another realm and be back before the end of lunch break. The trick is to go swimming, because diving into the water means crossing a sharp acoustical line. On the other side is the alien world of underwater sound…
We can barely hear underwater sound when we’re standing in the air, because the water surface acts like an acoustical mirror from both sides. The dense, strong-bonded molecules in water can’t push efficiently on the loose, free-travelling molecules in the air, so very little sound travels across the boundary.”
-- Helen Czerski, “The Calm of the Underwater Soundscape” (WSJ, 5/15/19)
From my perspective, describing BUBBLES...UP! as a picture book about swimming is to ignore the all-important differences between splashing around, or employing various swimming strokes to deliberately propel one’s body through water, and joyously escaping to a magical underwater refuge, away from everybody and everything.
“You dive in!
Your friends circle up
Dunk and splash
Bump and crash
Laugh and laugh
Duck--and up!
until…
PLUNGE!
under under under
Bubbles...UP!
You under-sit.
You under-talk.
You under-smile.
You under-walk
You somersault.
You under-stand.
You under-handstand.
You.
You understand.”
There is so much joy bubbling up in this neighborhood pool which is being loved by a diverse cast of characters. There are some admirable sibling interactions, and a light-hearted lesson about getting out of the water when the thunderstorm gallops through. Happy verses, blue water, and lots of bubbles.
Carole King might long to be up on the roof, but I’ll take the quiet solitude of underwater every time.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
“We got no troubles
Life is the bubbles
Under the sea”
-- Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (1989)
Six-plus decades ago, my father scooped a big handful of coins out of his pocket, tossed them into that year’s backyard pool (approximately 30” deep) and challenged me to retrieve them. That’s when I learned the magic of underwater. Whether it be a bay or a backyard pool, underwater is where I long to be.
“In the middle of my busiest days I crave escape, preferably to another world. It sounds like science fiction, but even in central London it is possible to step through a boundary to another realm and be back before the end of lunch break. The trick is to go swimming, because diving into the water means crossing a sharp acoustical line. On the other side is the alien world of underwater sound…
We can barely hear underwater sound when we’re standing in the air, because the water surface acts like an acoustical mirror from both sides. The dense, strong-bonded molecules in water can’t push efficiently on the loose, free-travelling molecules in the air, so very little sound travels across the boundary.”
-- Helen Czerski, “The Calm of the Underwater Soundscape” (WSJ, 5/15/19)
From my perspective, describing BUBBLES...UP! as a picture book about swimming is to ignore the all-important differences between splashing around, or employing various swimming strokes to deliberately propel one’s body through water, and joyously escaping to a magical underwater refuge, away from everybody and everything.
“You dive in!
Your friends circle up
Dunk and splash
Bump and crash
Laugh and laugh
Duck--and up!
until…
PLUNGE!
under under under
Bubbles...UP!
You under-sit.
You under-talk.
You under-smile.
You under-walk
You somersault.
You under-stand.
You under-handstand.
You.
You understand.”
There is so much joy bubbling up in this neighborhood pool which is being loved by a diverse cast of characters. There are some admirable sibling interactions, and a light-hearted lesson about getting out of the water when the thunderstorm gallops through. Happy verses, blue water, and lots of bubbles.
Carole King might long to be up on the roof, but I’ll take the quiet solitude of underwater every time.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
June 20, 2025
This is a snapshot in time of a little girl's afternoon at a community pool. Rain threatens, temporarily pausing the fun, but then things are right back on track. Beautiful illustrations, and a fantastic read-aloud. The text reads like a poem with lovely internal rhymes and onomatopoeia. The joy and freedom captured in each "plunge!" is delightful and will resonate with every water-loving kid.
A few other notes--for those not as far along on their swimming journey, we see kids at different stages, some with inner tubes, a little one with floaties. The characters are diverse with bodies of different sizes and shapes.
A gem of a picture book. Highly recommended.
A few other notes--for those not as far along on their swimming journey, we see kids at different stages, some with inner tubes, a little one with floaties. The characters are diverse with bodies of different sizes and shapes.
A gem of a picture book. Highly recommended.
November 23, 2021
For kiddos who spend time at the pool, especially those who know how to swim this will be a relatable book. For those who are still working on putting their face underwater, this may miss the mark. The illustrations are fun but busy. The focus is on the main character and their enjoyment of swimming at the pool, with descriptions of mom on the side with a younger sibling, everyone waiting out a storm, and rescuing a rubber duck that floats away. The text is worked into the illustrations, often in round shapes that echo bubbles on the page which adds to the busyness of the illustrations.
August 3, 2021
Fantastic. Bubbles always go up, but "you" plunge under, over and over, joyfully exploring everything you can do in the pool. The language rhymes, but not cloyingly. It plays as much as the child - moving around the page and recalling all those tiny experiences and pleasures of pooltime. The illustrations give us movement and the ever-changing light of underwater, with a diverse cast of friends playing along. Imagination and fun abound.
August 13, 2021
Cute story about a young girl who loves swimming. Davies uses bubbles as the connector as this child describes all the fun ways to be in the water with friends and alone. She even saves her little sibling when they reach for their rubber duck and accidentally fall in.
Clever rhyming text and brightly colored illustrations.
Clever rhyming text and brightly colored illustrations.
November 17, 2021
My 4.5 year old, who hasn’t had much chance to swim in public pools due to COVID, really enjoyed this one. Sonia Sánchez’s illustrations are fantastic as usual and the story has a great rhythm throughout. One of those ones where nothing much happens (they swim they get out, a crisis is averted) but it flows with such energy and enthusiasm that it pulls you right in!
December 20, 2021
Iggi's Storytime Criteria
Age group: preschool+
Content: swimming, friends, public pool
Plot: An aqueous child has a fun time with her friends and family at a public pool
Wordiness: medium-high
Length: medium
Illustrations: wonderful, bubbly, vibrant
Page Gloss: high satin, def would be hard on video bc of the dark blues
Other: poetic and full of good movement prompts
Age group: preschool+
Content: swimming, friends, public pool
Plot: An aqueous child has a fun time with her friends and family at a public pool
Wordiness: medium-high
Length: medium
Illustrations: wonderful, bubbly, vibrant
Page Gloss: high satin, def would be hard on video bc of the dark blues
Other: poetic and full of good movement prompts
December 28, 2021
Eh. I love to swim, and I probably felt exactly like this child when I was young and in the water. But it just felt flat. The book tries at time to rhyme or to have a cadence, but frequently fails. It uses long lists of synonyms to get a point across that could be done with one word. Just not for me.
January 26, 2022
This unique text told in verse captures the excitement of spending a day at the community pool. But swim time is in jeopardy when the thunderstorms move in. The skies clear up and once again bubbles float up, but then little brother who can't swim gets too close to the edge. The clever language and active illustrations will have readers of all ages reminiscing about the times at the pool.
May 26, 2021
A celebration of swimming underwater and all of the sorts of bubbles you may make and encounter while there! When in the pool as a child I'm fairly sure I spent more time underwater than above and this reminded me of all the wonderous things I would do while doing that.
June 17, 2021
A lively celebration of a summer day at the community pool. Beautiful blues and white bubbles show a young girl as she explores underwater. This book captures the summertime fun of a young swimmer on a hot day. Fun!
July 5, 2021
The illustrations and the text work together to move the story along. Words summersault across the page, and the little girl who spends her day enjoying a swim in the pool moves through it all with enthusiasm.
August 10, 2022
I love the poetic flow of the text and how it makes swimming underwater seem so exciting and grown up. She likes it too and has requested to read it several times. Hopefully that excitement will co to us once swim lessons start.
May 27, 2023
Several 2nd grade classes left the library ready for a trip to the pool. The word play and playful illustrations led to some wonderful connections and inferences by students. This is a wonderful story to share together before or after a trip to the pool.
September 5, 2024
I liked that the book rhymed but it wasn't one of my favorites. Other than the rhyming, it was hard to read/understand. There wasn't much a plot or storyline to go along with and I typically stick to stories that have a plot to go along with when waiting to see what occurs next.
March 5, 2025
I used it in a storytime today that was bubble-themed. It is more about swimming but in one part the book talks about a thunderstorm, which today we are having. I had 2-4-year-olds at storytime and the book had a lot of words that described the way a person swims and the sounds that can be made.
June 6, 2025
This was a nice summery pool book, but it didn’t do a whole lot for me. 🤷🏻♀️ I checked this out while I was waiting for Our Pool to be located by my library (iykyk) and I should’ve waited for that one!
June 25, 2025
A young child is swimming at the local pool with friends. The somewhat rhyming text describes bubbles created by different movements of the body. Lots of action words in this light-on-plot story of a summer afternoon.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews