Pop! The Invention of Bubblegum

Pop! The Invention of Bubblegum is an information text that was written in 2010 by Meghan McCarthy.  This picture book is an excellent resource for children as it contains a plethora of facts regarding the creation of the treasured childhood treat of bubblegum.  The author takes readers on a journey to follow Walter Deimer as he perfects the perfect recipe to make bubblegum.  Set in the 1920's, this story's vivid use of images allows readers to feel like they are part of the bubblegum making process themselves. The story has a very simple structure as the words are easy to read and the narration of this story is very straightforward.  There is text on almost every page and they story is told in chronologically order as readers follow the many trial and errors it took to perfect the bubblegum recipe. The whole story contains narrative text as the story of Walter Deimer’s creation of bubblegum is being told for readers to follow along.  Along these same lines, the book contains a majority of expository text as it is revealing accurate information regarding the creation of bubblegum.  An aspect of this story that truly makes it stand out and extremely informational for readers is through the page at the end of the story that includes more information on Walter Diemer, facts about bubble gum, and references to quotes that can be found within the text.  Through reading this, readers are able to understand the whole story of Walter Deimer and recognize that the elements within the story were true in regards to how bubblegum came to be. All in all, Pop! The Invention of Bubblegum serves as a fun informational text for readers about the creation of something many people love so much. Through this, the text encourages readers to look at even the littlest things in a new manner as it encourages students to question and explore the history of many things they love so dearly.