Review: The Jolly Bupbup

Review of The Jolly Bupbup

        In a fantasy land inhabited by tea-drinking Twinkles, a small Bupbup lives in a cozy cottage with two cats. A Bupbup appears to be a small, cat-size humanoid. It is raining, and the rain washed away the Jolly Bupbup’s boat. She has to wait for the rain to stop so she can go find it, because she doesn’t have an umbrella, and the cats do not want to get their feet wet. While she is looking for her boat she meets a duck who likes to splash in puddles. It is an engaging story, with lots of charming descriptions.

        What makes The Jolly Bupbup by Ann P. Borrmann stand out is a unique incorporation of fantasy characters and poetry. Borrmann starts with an excellent poem about the Twinkles. I would reread this just for that poem. It is a delightful rhyme advising how to meet the reclusive, tea-drinking creatures. The Twinkles are never shown, but are described as shy but friendly beings. They are larger than Bupbups, but still small enough to hide behind trees. I like the choice not to show the Twinkles. I’m curious to know what they look like, but having an unknown fantasy creature pushes the reader’s imagination.

        Cute illustrations by Bonnie LeMarie. Good color choices. LeMarie used digital art, with soft color and texture choices that resemble watercolor. There are only nine illustrations, but they are full-page, and the story is printed opposite each picture. The duck in particular is very well-done, and looks delighted.

5 stars!

*Disclosure: I was given a review copy of the ebook by the author.