Description:

Chavela loves chomping chicle-chewing gum. And she loves blowing bubbles even more. One day, while out with her abuelita, she finds a mysterious kind of gum she's never seen before. She pops it in her mouth and blows a giant bubble that lifts her up into the air and carries her on a magical journey.

Luscious, candy-colored paintings illustrate this fantastical story with an ecological twist. An afterword provides information on natural chewing gum, the rainforest, and sustainable farming, as well as music to a traditional Latin American folksong.

Reviews and Awards:

"When bubble-gum-loving Chavela finds a package of Magic Chicle at her corner store, she can't wait to chomp it. The little girl is delightfully surprised when it makes a giant bubble that carries her across California, Arizona, and Texas to the Yucatán, where she learns how the sap, or chicle, from sapodilla trees becomes her beloved bubble gum . . . Brown creates a charming story that celebrates the joys of gum chewing, and of natural beauty, without becoming didactic. The text is full of strong verbs, such as "swooped," "popped," and "chomped," which underscore the energetic glee of childhood . . . .Meanwhile, Morales's bright candy colors perfectly evoke chewing gum's various and vivid hues. Luminescent pinks and oranges are the dominant colors, further enhancing the story's joyful tone. The illustrative details also underscore the child's Mexican-American heritage. For example, there is corn drying in the kitchen, and traditional embroidery on Abuelita's dress. Children of all backgrounds will enjoy her adventures."

"Magic realism blends with rain-forest conservation in this picture book about a young Latina girl who travels, across time and space, from the U.S. to Mexico at the time when her grandmother grew up there...Kids will want to chew their own bubblegum as they listen to this exciting magical journey, handsomely illustrated in brilliantly colored double-page spreads."

"Chavela, who loves chewing gum, buys a pack of "Magic Chicle," and the enormous pink bubble she blows propels her over the jungles of the Yucatan...Morales's luminous acrylics in rich, candy hues infuse it with a homespun magic."