Louise Parsons (Children's Literature)
Bubba and his dog, Beau, are just two little guys trying to find some fun, but it is hard to do with Mama Pearl preparing the house for the relatives. Before the relatives arrive, there is a lot of sweeping, dusting, and general tidying up to do, so Bubba and Beau head off to the mud hole to escape the cleaning frenzy. Unfortunately, Bubba and Beau do not get to enjoy the mud hole for very long. Before they know it, Big Bubba carts them off for an unpleasant bath. When the relatives finally arrive, there is a lot of celebrating and a tour of the house. Bubba and Beau use this opportunity to make one last trip to the mud hole. This story is a delightful, humorous read. In five short chapters, the reader is transported to Bubbaville where anything can happen. It has fabulous language that makes it a perfect read aloud choice. I was sorry to see this story end. Fortunately for me, there are other books featuring Bubba and Beau. 2004, Harcourt Children's Books, $16.00. Ages 2 to 5.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 5))
Language that snaps, crackles, and tickles once again thrives in the further adventures of Bubba and Beau, the jowly, eggheaded toddler and his faithful mutt. When relatives phone to make an unexpected visit, Bubbaville is abuzz with cleaning and fixing. Bubba and Beau head for the mud hole and some relaxing oozing. But Mama Pearl is having none of that. Once they get scrubbed up and in their new duds ("scratchier than the toilet brush"), it's time for lots of kissing and hugging and an introduction to the relatives' toddler, Arlene, and her dog Bitsy. Bubba sighs: "Honey, it was froufrou city." Despite the frills and ribbons, Arlene, Bubba, and the dogs soon find common ground: the mud hole. "Brother, it was paradise found." After a quick cleanup it's time for Big Bubba's Bodacious Banana Buttermilk Pie: "Sister, it was better than a trip to Graceland," both the eating and the tossing around. Howard's trademark droll art captures the down-home conviviality that is indeed "paradise found." 2004, Harcourt, 32p, $16.00. Category: Picture book. Ages 2 to 5. © 2004 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 8))
When the relatives decide to come to visit, Mama Pearl goes on a "home improvement spree," handing out orders to Big Bubba and cooking up a storm: "Yep, Bubbaville was abuzz." Little Bubba and Beau, his pet hound dog, retreat to the safety of the garden and the mud hole, where they indulge in the welcoming squish ("Sister, that mud hole was better than pickled eggs"). Their ecstasy doesn't last: babe and pup are plucked from the ooze and plopped into a sudsy bath, after which they are dressed in scratchy sailor suit and new bandana, respectively. Things go from scratchy to frilly: the relatives arrive, bringing with them little Cousin Arlene and her dog, Bitsy ("Honey, it was froufrou city"). At the first unguarded opportunity, baby Arlene, Bitsy, Bubba, and Beau crawl off to the garden, and, you guessed it, to a joyous mud bath ("Brother, it was paradise found"). Appelt (Bubba and Beau, Best Friends, BCCB 2/02, etc.) brings back her inseparable duo in yet another successful outing. Snappily humorous language brings home the universal tribulations and jubilation of a family visit in succinct phrases that get the message guffawingly across. Howard's cartoon-like, outlined illustrations once again feature the eminently expressive-eyed Bubba, now joined by the equally expressively lashed Arlene. Full-page and spot-art vignettes dash across the pages in freeze-frames of down-home activity. Fans old and new will take Appelt up on her closing offer: "Y'all come back now, ya hear?" Review Code: R* -- Denotes books of special distinction. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Harcourt, 32p, $16.00. Ages 4-7 yrs.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2004)
Five short chapters relate the goings-on in Bubbaville when the kinfolk decide to come for a visit. For toddlers just learning how story works, this third entry in the series offers a progressive plot that begins with predictable events but climaxes with a great surprise. The energetic watercolor illustrations create a down-home setting that complements the colloquial voice. Category: Preschool. 2004, Harcourt, 32pp, 16.00. Ages 2 to 5. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Diana McGettes (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 17, No. 1))
Bubba and his dog Beau are not enjoying the frenzied preparations for the relatives. They finally decide to visit their favorite spot in the garden--a mud hole. After meeting the relatives his disposition doesn’t improve until he meets his froufrou cousin Arlene and her dog Bitsy. Bubba and Beau decide to show Arlene and Bitsy their favorite place in the garden. This book is cute and funny. The young children will really enjoy the language and the mud puddles. Fiction. Grades PreK. 2004, Harcourt, Unpaged., $16.00. Ages 3 to 5.