ALA Booklist

Reflecting the hands-on experience of children blowing soap bubbles, this volume from the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series will answer some questions about bubbles, while raising many more. The simple, child-friendly discussion considers how soap bubbles are formed, what shape they take, and why they pop, as well as why bubbles in liquids such as water, juice, and milk, act differently. The book ends with two pages on making bubble solution and experimenting with bubbles. Illustrated entirely with photographs, the text doesn't try to explain everything about bubbles, but invites the child to consider what's happening. Miller's clear, well-composed pictures show young children engaged in bubble play and experimentation. The multicultural casting gives the presentation an inclusive, inviting look. One thing seems sure: parents and teachers reading this book aloud should be prepared for some bubble play when the book is done.

Horn Book (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2003)

A girl and her dog don life jackets and set out in a canoe. The wildlife takes an interest in this "one-dog canoe," each animal after the next asking, "Can I come, too?" One beaver, loon, wolf, bear, and moose later, the canoe is still afloat--until a frog hops aboard. Casanova's spunky narrator and rhythmic rhyming text and Hoyt's personality-rich characterizations create what's sure to be a read-aloud favorite.

Kirkus Reviews

What makes a bubble? Why does it pop? What makes it round? These and a dozen other questions are clearly explained in a brief, readable text in this "Let's-Read-And-Find-Out" Stage 1 science title. Bradley ( Weaver's Daughter , 2000, etc.), a chemist and a mother of two enthusiastic bubble blowers, is right on target with questions and answers. Explaining that the air inside the soapy skin of a bubble doesn't push out more in one place or another, she effectively offers a miniphysics lesson. Moving on to demonstrate other liquids, she explains why some bubbles pop easier than others. Clear color photographs help to demonstrate each idea, using a racially mixed group of boys and girls blowing, popping, and examining big and little bubbles in various liquids. The author concludes with a recipe for making bubble solution and additional experiments with bubbles. Young readers (and their parents) will have a good time learning new science thanks to this playful offering. (Nonfiction. 5-8)

School Library Journal (Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2001)

PreS-Gr 1 Bubbles here, bubbles there, bubbles, bubbles, bubbles everywherebig ones, small ones, single ones, or in a stream. Some float gently, while some pop immediately. No matter what they are made of or how or where they are produced, they are always round, never square. A simple, accurate text that is also fun to read explains these facts. Delightful color photographs of charming children making bubbles and of bubbles floating freely reinforce and extend the text. Children will want to participate themselves to test the data. The book includes a page of experiments and a recipe for making a solution (which may need some adult help to prepare). This is science learning at its best. Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA