When the relatives come to visit, Bubba and Beau have got to find something fun to do and so take Arlene and Bitsy to their favorite muddy spot out in the garden to have an old-fashioned, squishy, good time! Jr Lib Guild.
When Arlene and Bitsy play in the mud, having an old-fashioned, squishy, good time -- now that's something I can relate to.
Imagine, me. A non-Texan. Somebody who grew up in New York City. (Where we have mud too.)
Otherwise, though, I didn't find much I could relate to in this book. For my second Bubba and Beau book in a row, mostly I found a lot of Texan references, maybe tribal references.
Do all good Texan men wear their cowboy hats and cowboy boots all their waking hours? Inside the house, not only outdoors? Or just the good Texan men in this book?
Look, it's a spirited tale. Of course I'll give it FIVE STARS.
Personally, though, this Goodreader felt excluded. My imagination can take me nearly everywhere and any time. Usually books aid me, abet me, in doing just that. Not here, though.
But maybe that Texans-only spirit is part of the charm?
I absolutely love reading aloud the Bubba books. I love Bubba. I love the folks. I love the chapters, yes chapters. There are five, count them--five, chapters in the thirty pages of this hilarious story about a visit from some extended family.
Here's how the story time performer engaged the crowd by asking questions...
She opened the book to the front end papers and asked, "What color is that?" (The children love identifying colors and for those that are still learning their colors this way of beginning a book gives them opportunity to practice.) She turned to the title page and read the title, author, and illustrator. When I do this I sometimes read the title and then ask them if they'd like to read it with me as I run my finger along the title or tap at the title phrase. (this draws their attention to the idea that books are made by people for people--especially if you also read the dedication, too. It also draws their attention to the PRINT.) There is an illustration on this title page, so she asked the children, "What are they doing?" (Not only does this dynamic story sharing embed pre-reading skills into their subconscious, it keeps them focused, involved, and entertained!) More questions which she sprinkled throughout the reading included... "Are they cleaning? What do you guys help do? Can you stir? (mime stirring) What do you do when your grandpa comes? Do you give him a big hug? What do you think they're doing to do now? What did they do?"
First sentence: "The relatives are coming!" cried Mama Pearl.
Premise/plot: In their third adventure, Bubba and Beau survive meeting the relatives! It all starts when Mama Pearl learns that family is coming to visit. That sets everything in motion. It is all good fun at first--especially the mud hole. But they won't survive this day without whining and tears.
She dressed Bubba in his brand-new sailor suit. Bubba hated that sailor suit. It was tight. It was stiff. It was scratchier than the toilet brush. Beau got a new bandana. Yuck!
But once the family arrives, then things really get going!
My thoughts: Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives is a GREAT addition to this series. I definitely prefer it to the second book. It is just as good as the first book, Bubba and Beau Best Friends. I loved every moment of this one. The narration is FUN, CUTE, CHARMING. Perhaps a tiny bit precious. But anytime the text starts to get too sweet and precious, enter the MUD HOLE.
Appelt, Kathi. Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives. Illus. Arthur Howard. New York: New York, 2004. Print. Hospitality, mud, dogs, ages 2-5. In Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives Bubba’s family is getting ready for family to come into town and meet baby Bubba. During the visit Bubba and his cousin wonder off to find a mud puddle with their pet dogs. When the family found the two babies they decided the best way to clean up is making a swimming pool in the back of a pick-up truck. I thought the plot of the story was good but the author’s word choice throughout the story was questionable. The book is designed for a very young age group but there are so many unfamiliar adjectives that in order to explain them the reader would have to frequently stop and take up a lot of time. Since this book is hard to follow I think it would help if the reader stopped to ask questions and help little kids start to learn critical thinking.
The author, Kathi Appelt, is a very fortunate woman because her illustrator, Arthur Howard, is the best there is in kids' books. And as such, Howard makes this book doubly worth the purchase. Howard is the illustrator of the wonderful Mr. Putter series by Cynthia Rylant.
A cute little story about Bubba meeting all his relatives including little Beau who is about the same age as Bubba, a baby.
After the fussy, kissy introductions, Bubba and Beau thoroughly enjoy their day playing in the mud, playing in water in the truck, making a mess of their lunches, until it is time for Beau and all the relatives to head home.
The illustrations will really keep a child's attention, along with the cute story.
This is a similar review to the one I wrote for another book in the Bubba and Beau series. Mostly because I'm not sure which book she likes better.
My kindergartner loves reading this book to me and to her little brother. She howls like Beau, narrates in a great Texas accent, and loves reading this story over and over. Any book that can spark a desire to read and to really tell a story is a 5-star book in my opinion.
A redneck story for young kids. It's great! Any country living or country loving parent should read this to their kids! My girls especially loved the part where they used the bed of Earl, the pick-up, for a swimming pool!
The relatives are coming and Bubba's parents get everything all set for them. There is a very southern tone to the book and I'm not sure my boys really "got that" when we were reading it. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this kind of a story today.
This book would be great for a read a loud. Adding a southern dialect would enhance the feeling of the story. I would use this book in a discussion on how we all speak different in the United States.