Bubba, a brand-new Texas baby, and Beau, a brand-new Texas puppy, are best friends with a nose for adventure. They have lots in common, including a mutual respect for . . . mud and a mutual disdain for . . . soap. So, when Mama Pearl decides to give them--and their favorite blankie--a bath, it's a sad, sad day in Bubbaville.This is just the beginning of a playful new series starring these irresistible youngsters--and their many outrageous antics. Ar-ar-aroooooo!!! Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

When baby Bubba is born, his father, Big Bubba, "revved up Earl, his trusty pickup truck, and honked the horn as loud as he could." Likewise, when puppy Beau arrives, bloodhound Maurice "threw his head back and began to bay." The proud human and canine poppas are shown howling together in the bed of the pickup. Following this celebration, Bubba and Beau become inseparable. In brief chapters, the buddies crawl in the mud, inhale the "smelly smell" of their shared blanket and seem stunned after Bubba's Mama Pearl gives them a soapy scrubbing. "Sister, those two got along," writes Appelt (Elephants Aloft), warmly conveying the twosome's attachment. Howard (Hoodwinked), who sketches in a loose charcoal line and transparent watercolor, shows the characters sticking together; a curious Beau watches Bubba and vice versa during the bath sequence. Howard alludes to a Texas setting by placing a state flag on Earl's antenna and longhorns on the hood plus picturing Big Bubba in a ranch shirt, with a belly that overlaps his belt buckle. All the hounds wear bandannas, and Mama Pearl looks comfy in scuffed cowboy boots and a housedress when she hangs out the wash. Appelt's fond voice and Howard's good-humored drawings combine to suggest an easygoing, distinctly Texan family life. Ages 2-5. (Apr.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

PreS-Gr 2-This five-chapter picture book introduces Bubba, a baby boy; his parents; and Beau, their puppy. The author highlights the youngsters' similarities: they're both keen on chewing, neither one is house-trained, and they both disdain soap. It turns out that Bubba has "the best blankie." He and Beau play with it and especially like its smell-until Mama Pearl gives it a wash. "Its cottony-soft turned soggy. Its snappity-snap turned flat." And, worse yet, it smells like soap. Still "in a washing mood," Mama scoops up both the child and the pup to bathe them. Both are shell-shocked until she gives them back the blanket, "pinky-pink" and "toasty-warm." "Best of all, it smelled just like Bubba and Beau-best friends!" This book is a delight. The text is breezy, clever, and concrete. It expands on the emotional turmoil surrounding washing day by creating two characters that thrive not just because of their connection to a favorite possession, but because of the love they have for one another. Howard's loose, jaunty cartoon illustrations capture the heart of the text to a tee. And while the Texas drawl sets a humorous tone, the pictures expand on the fun through the facial expressions and body positioning of the protagonists. With a seamless partnership between text and art, this book is right on.-Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Ages 2-5. Bubba is a blond, blue-eyed baby boy, born into a loving family and wrapped in "his soft pink blankie." Beau is a "perfect little hound-puppy" also born into a loving family. They live together--growing, chewing, playing. But it's a "sad day in Bubbaville" when the lovely, smelly blanket goes into the washing machine and comes out smelling of soap. As the blankie hangs drying on the line, Mama Pearl takes the opportunity to bathe both Bubba and Beau (while she is in the "cleaning mood"). In the end, Bubba and Beau are reunited with their blanket, and though clean, they nap peacefully. With quiet brilliance, this picture book in five chapters enters the cocoon of a child's private world. Howard, the illustrator of Cynthia Rylant's Mr. Putter and Tabby series, provides watercolor illustrations that are familiar and comforting, and Appelt's Texan lilt brings a burst of energy to the storytelling. Future titles in this new series will be welcomed. --Kathy Broderick From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.