I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Bumble-Ardy
by
Maurice Sendak
fantasy, picture book in Hardcover edition that was published by HarperCollins on April 5, 2013 and has 40 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Where the Wild Things Are, Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months, In the Night Kitchen
Originally an animated Sesame Street animated short created by Maurice Sendak and Jim Henson, it’s the first all-Sendak story since his last story, Outside Over There in 1981.
My Take
The introducing pages are cute with the soft pastel graphics Sendak has created. I especially enjoyed the one in which Bumble-Ardy is exploding out of a calendar with that “well” *grin*.
I’m also enjoying the rhythm and rhyme of the story. Be warned, there is a rather gruesome explanation of why Bumble-Ardy hasn’t had a birthday party for the previous eight years. Yum!
You absolutely MUST read all the signs the characters carry or wear. And it’s definitely, oh, yes, most definitely a great opportunity to discuss why hog farmers aren’t welcome or why it’s a nice idea to wash first, lol. It’s also a chance to scare your kids into never having an “unlicensed” party! Although, that ending would screw that up. It was weird, even if it was very accepting.
Bumble-Ardy is taking advantage of his poor aunty — who already gave him a party. Watching Bumble-Ardy nervously tracking the time on his pocket watch will bring back some scary memories for Mom and Dad of their own teen parties…*more laughter*…
The costumes are great fun. And you may want to have a few cupcakes on hand…I know I wanted one…or two.
The Story
Bumble-Ardy is throwing himself a masquerade birthday party. His very first one.
The Characters
Bumble-Ardy is a young orphan pig who gets a grand idea.
Aunt Adeline adopted our boy, and she works at Smith & Klein, a grocer’s.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a gray-green with a slightly lighter text for the title and the author’s name, both of which curve around the central image of a very happy pig’s head —Bumble-Ardy’s head — wearing a yellow-trimmed bright blue pilot’s cap and jacket and bursting out of a calendar.
The title is the primary character, Bumble-Ardy.
