Barbara Kennedy (Children's Literature)
Mama Pearl and Big Bubba have two little ones, a bouncy baby boy named Bubba and a hound pup named Beau. Of all the things the two did together, their favorite was going bye-bye. Big Bubba packed those two up in his pickup every time he went to town. Stops included the Feed and Seed where they stopped to sit on the front porch and shoot the breeze until it was fully shot, the post office to get stamps with the American flag that got Big Bubba all choked up stopping him in his tracks for a salute, Sam's vegetable and fruit stand for the perfect watermelon that needed a lot of thumping, the Freezee Deluxe for raspberry-swirl ice-cream cones and extra napkins, and then home. After a busy day like that it was time to go night-night. Bubba and Beau did not like to go night-night, no siree, Bob! Find out how Big Bubba saved the day in this completely charming, five chapter, expressively watercolored gem. 2003, Harcourt, $16.00. Ages 2 to 5.

Joan Kindig, Ph.D. (Children's Literature)
Bubba, baby son of Big Bubba and Mama Pearl, has a puppy named Beau who is his best buddy. And since they're both babies, they are very busy growing up with each other. In this second book of the about these two, Bubba and Beau have a great day exploring town with Big Bubba, in Earl, the pickup truck. But when it comes time to go to bed, neither Bubba nor Beau is buying it. Mama Pearl walks the floor with them to no avail. Finally one more trip through town in Earl does the trick. Night-night! I love this small-town, rural family who are as different as can be. But when it comes right down to it, they are not different at all. Howard's illustrations make this great fun to share with children, and the escapades of Bubba and Beau will crack them up. 2003, Harcourt, $16.00. Ages 4 to 7.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2004)
Both Bubba (the baby) and Beau (the puppy) love to go bye-bye, so when Big Bubba packs them both up in the red pickup truck to go into town, they gladly accompany him on his errands to the Feed and Seed store, the post office, and Sam's fruit and vegetable stand. Finally they make one last stop at the Freezee Deluxe for raspberry-swirl ice cream cones (with extra napkins) before returning home to tuck in for the night. But neither Bubba nor Beau is ready for bed, and no amount of rocking or lullaby-singing will convince them otherwise. Only when Big Bubba packs them back into the pickup truck for another ride around town do they both drop off to sleep. Kathi Appelt's folksy narrative style adds a great deal of humor to a story that's illustrated with appealing cartoon-style watercolor paintings. CCBC categories: Picture Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers. 2003, Harcourt, 32 pages, $16.00. Ages 3-6.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2003 (Vol. 71, No. 5))
Following on the heels of their debut, this tale features Bubba and Beau out on the town for adventures with a whole new cast of interesting friends. Opening with a dynamite shot of Bubba and Beau peering over Big Bubba's shoulders, Chapter One finds Bubba and Beau tucked into the cab of his truck as they head off to town accompanied by the twanging sounds of KBOB on the radio. "Sister, it was down the road again." In Chapters Two and Three, the trio completes their errands: visiting with the regulars at the Feed and Seed; buying stamps at the post office; and thumping watermelons at Sam's fruit stand. Three raspberry-swirl ice cream cones are on the menu in Chapter Four. After such an exciting day, the three should be ready for bed, but Chapter Five finds that Bubba and Beau have other ideas. The final chapter finds out what it takes to make the two go to sleep: another ride in Big Bubba's pickup, Earl. Snappy pencil-and-watercolor illustrations feature the amusing cast of characters, providing honest down-home fun. No one will be able to resist the local flavor and sly fun of this boy and his dawg. 2003, Harcourt, $16.00. Category: Picture book. Ages 2 to 5. © 2003 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 2003 (Vol. 56, No. 9))
Baby Bubba and hound dog Beau of Bubba and Beau (BCCB 4/02) are back for day of errand-running with Big Bubba (“Yep, going bye-bye was better than butter on toast”) that ends with a final stop at the Freezee Deluxe for ice cream (“Sister, those napkins came in handy”), after which they all arrive home to the arms of Mama Pearl. Big Bubba and Mama Pearl are ready for bed, but not Bubba and Beau: “No siree, Bob! Going night-night was not the first order of business.” Well, like many mothers before her, Mama Pearl tries everything she can think of, but finally Big Bubba comes to the rescue. He takes Bubba and Beau bye-bye in the family truck, where, after a nighttime tour of town, the two unwilling sleepers are “plumb tuckered out” and fall fast asleep. Howard’s watercolor and pencil images provide a humorous subtext to Appelt’s clever, understated text. The illustrations make the most of the clean white pages, using the tension between positive and negative space to good effect. The cowboy-hatted Big Bubba with baby Bubba over his shoulder and puppy bloodhound Beau under his arm is a study in the art of comic contrast. The story is divided into mini-chapters of four to six pages, giving this the look of a chapter book while keeping a simplicity of format that will please both transitional readers and younger listeners, even as their adult caregivers do some rueful remembering. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2003, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2003, Harcourt, 32p, $16.00. Ages 4-7 yrs.