Picture Book Review – On Account of The Gum

ON ACCOUNT OF THE GUM

Written and illustrated by Adam Rex

(Chronicle Books; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

★Starred Reviews – Booklist, Kirkus

On Account of the Gum is Adam Rex’s new picture book and, for fans of this talented author/illustrator, he once again delivers classic, page-turning fun in this very humorous story.

The text begins with the protagonist, a young girl, sitting down with gum stuck in her hair and although the story doesn’t explain how the gum got there, keen readers will look to the inside cover pages before the story begins to see in illustrations that the young girl went to bed blowing bubble gum and fell asleep with it.

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Everyone, including dad, sister, aunt, and right down to the firemen, has wild suggestions as to how the gum can be removed from the girl’s hair. But with each suggestion, the situation only becomes worse as more and more items get stuck in her hair, such as scissors, sticks of butter, grass, and even the vacuum cleaner, leading to increasing facial expressions of angst and frustration. Laugh at the silly situations that ensue and enjoy the rhyme as you read the story aloud to your child.

As I was reading the book, I wasn’t sure how the gum was going to get unstuck, so when the problem is solved (sort of) it was totally not what I expected. So make sure to ‘read’ all the way past the text to the illustration on the inside back cover to see what ultimately happens that day to our heroine.

In true Rex style, there are definitely a lot of not-to-be-missed details in the hilarious illustrations. I know this bubble gum pink-infused book is one that children will want to visit again and again to explore on their own. That being said, one thing is for sure: after reading Rex’s highly creative book, nobody will be going to sleep with gum in their mouth … I hope.

•  Reviewed by Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvilie 

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  Click here to download a fun activity kit.
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  Click here to order a copy of On Account of The Gum.
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