The Gumazing Gum Girl! Chews Your Destiny

April 22, 2013
Mighty-Mega Ultra-Stretchy Super-Duper Extenda-Bubble Bubble Gum might sound a little over the top, but it’s Gabby Gomez’s favorite—she chews it constantly. After a series of catastrophes and a peanut-butter hair treatment, though, Gabby’s mother forbids gum outright. Driven to deceit, Gabby has a freak accident that turns her into a gum-based superhero, able to use her sticky powers to rescue snatched purses and retrieve dropped keys from storm drains. Tension builds as Mrs. Gomez comes perilously close to discovering Gabby’s secret gum-chewing life (signaled by the “DUN! DUN! DUN!” of impending doom). Stripped-down, stylized (and bubblegum-pink) cartoons take prominence in this funny first book in the Gum Girl series, allowing Montijo (The Halloween Kid) to depict action and signal emotions clearly. He concentrates on Gabby’s inner struggle, following her step by sticky step back to a law-abiding childhood (“Mom would be so proud of what I just did.... But I can’t even tell her. And it’s all because I haven’t been telling her the truth”). The Spanish-language endearments Gabby trades with her mother deepen the sense of the affection they share. Ages 4–8.

May 1, 2013
Chewing gum imbues a girl with gooey superpowers in this laugh-out-loud early chapter book. Gabby Gomez loves chewing gum, anyplace, anytime--even in her sleep. So when she wakes up with gum stuck in her hair, her mother decides she's had enough and outlaws the sticky substance. Poor Gabby doesn't mean to disobey her mother, but when she discovers a piece of MIGHTY-MEGA ULTRA-STRETCHY SUPER-DUPER EXTENDA-BUBBLE BUBBLE GUM, she can't resist. The special gum results in the biggest bubble ever, and when it pops, the outcome is not just a gum-covered girl, but one with sudden, gummy superpowers. Gabby's new powers enable her to help people in need, but the price of hiding them from her mom is hard to bear. Using a successful blend of traditional prose, dialogue bubbles and bold-lined, black-and-white illustrations, Montijo delivers laughs all the way through, ensuring that the "moral" never hampers the fun. The one place Montijo stumbles is in the disappointing portrayal of class bully Natalie Gooch, a stereotypically large, boyish-looking girl; there are plenty of small "girly-girls" who are horrible bullies--let's see more of those. Perfectly paced and bursting with laughs, the tale will appeal to fans of humor and reluctant readers alike, who will identify with Gabby's sticky situation. (Fiction/graphic hybrid. 6-9)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 2-4-Gabby Gomez loves to chew gum, even when she goes to bed. But one morning when her mom has to pick the stuff out of Gabby's hair with peanut butter, she bans her daughter's habit. Already feeling distressed while walking to school, Gabby discovers her last piece of a super-duper gum in her pocket. With it she blows the biggest bubble she's ever made, and it touches overhead wires. The bubble bursts, and Gabby is covered in the sticky stuff. She acquires some superpowers, though, including the ability to catch a purse thief and gaining the sobriquet "Gum Girl." But what will she tell her mother, and how will she get to school on time to avoid detention? The characters are one-dimensional, but the simple, entertaining story is easy to read, and the numerous illustrations are eye-catching. Children who like series such as Greg Trine's "Melvin Beederman, Superhero" (Holt) will easily be drawn into Gabby's world.-Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT

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