Bubba and Beau, Best Friends

The Bubba and Beau books are amongst the sweetest, most colorfully written, picture books I have seen and we have loads :-) ! Kathi Appelt captures the Texas drawl perfectly and Arthur Howard's illustrations are just charming. For baby showers to birthday presents, Bubba and Beau is one of my top five choices.

Our school librarian read this to our preschool class. They all loved it, as did I.

Appelt's funny and charming tale of the almost simultaneous birth and budding friendship between a boy named Bubba and a puppy named Beau is heartwarming and enchanting. With no apparent idea that they are different species, these naïve babies" bond over their shared first traumas - i.e., the laundering of their beloved "blankie" and their own first baths. Howard's simple charcoal and watercolor renderings of Bubba and Beau could capture the heart of the most hardened soul. Their eyes, expressions, and movements are all enchanting. Howard's equally charming and amusing renderings of the human and dog parents and the Texas ranch where the story takes place provide the "icing on the cake." The result is a book that oozes with life, warmth, security, friendship, and love. Child judges awarded it the 2002 Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature. To accommodate short attention spans, Appelt has even broken the story up into five well-defined chapters. Readers wanting more of Bubba and Beau will not be disappointed - there are already two sequels, Bubba and Beau Go Night Night and Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives. Highly recommended for ages 18 months to 4 years.

This book will pull at your heartstrings while give you a sore stomach from all the laughter! My 12 month old loved this book when I returned from the library with it. When I purchased it for him it became his ONLY book to read. It is so delightful that you will not mind reading it over and over again. You might even develop a slight southern twinge to you accent after a few reads!

This is one of the funniest books. While reading it, one of my co-workers laughed so hard her mascara ran down her face. I've used it in pre-school storytime all week and its been very popular with the 3 to 5 year old crowd. The illustrations are priceless and the charaters a riot.