Num, Num, Num!: A Bea and Haha Book

I like the way EMily Jenkins draws her aminal characters (specifically, a ferret and a hippo, according to the back cover). Bea is blue and as puffy as the Pillsbury doughboy (a shape she may acquired by eating too many of the bagels featured in this book.) Haha (that would be the ferret) is constructed of two cones, with 4 wriggly lines suggesting hair--he's even more of a minimalist, looking something like an animated party favor. The two friends both wear colorful striped shirts, have big expressive black eyes, and apparently have enormous appetites! However, the two friends differ in a one important respects: Bea is eating a huge bagel, and HaH is not. Not coincidently, Haha uses words to persuade Bea to share, Bea--emjoying her munchy ways--talks back with the very limited but expressive "Num, num, num." There's one piece of doalogue (or perhaps a monologue) that's a little confusing: Watching Bea get her mouth around the bagel, HaH makes an indirect appeal: "Bagels are my favorite," says HaHa. "Next to yogurt, bagels are my favorite," Now... who says the second line? IF it's HaHa, then he or she is contradicting the first line. While it may have been Bea who ranked her (or his) first and second favorite foods, the text doesn;t make that very clear. Jenkins makes it very clear, however, that Bea is reluctant to share that bagel. If HaHa feels a NEED for some of that bagel, and if necessity is indeed the mother of invention, HaHa springs into action with a very inspired solution. THe ferret spoons a LOT of jam all over the bagel, and soon both animals are enjoying this sweeter snack, eating towards each other and the hole in the middle. It all happens a little too fast, perhaps another page showing HaHa wielding the jam-laden spoon, or showing Bea's reaction to the newly jam-covered bagel, would have added a little depth to the story. Still, as a board book for the infant or very young toddler, Ms. Jenkins' simple but clever drawings of these appealing animals, the sight of the huge bagel--eventually covered with purple jam and eaten with great vigor by BEa and HaHA--and her bright but soft background colors should attract any youngster with an appetite for a good, easily understood board book. Num, num, num!

It's a fun, simple little book, but it's my daughter's favorite.