So many picture book authors I know are inspired to write their stories from real life. They often have a young relative who serves as inspiration for the story, and they like to incorporate them as the hero. It’s something I’ve even been toying with myself, using my young nephew as the hero. One author I can turn to for help with this is Ann P. Borrmann, a teacher turned writer who has used real life characters and situations as inspirations for her book. Below is my review of Borrmann’s picture book, The Jolly Bupbup, along with my interview with the author.
The Jolly Bupbup plot summary
The Jolly Bupbup is a little girl who lives in a red brick house with a black cat and a yellow cat at the edge of the woods. One day, a hard rain causes her little boat to be swept away into the nearby river. Since she has no umbrella, The Jolly Bupbup can’t go after it. The next day, she goes outside to jump in the puddles and she finds the boat caught on a tree branch. A friendly duck helps her to free the boat, and she rows it home to her cats.
The writing
The Jolly Bupbup begins with a poem about a made-up species called the Twinkles. The poem is rhythmic and mysterious, like a nursery rhyme. Then, the story switches gears to introduce the reader to The Jolly Bupbup in a more standard narration. Each page contains several paragraphs which tell the story in detail.
There’s almost no dialogue, and our main character does not speak. So, the narrator does all of the storytelling along with the illustrations. It’s definitely a story for older picture book readers with longer attention spans who can ask questions and really get to know the world and the characters through the narration.
The illustrations
Several illustrations compliment the story of The Jolly Bupbup. Each illustration is filled with depth, color, and movement. It has a very The Cat in the Hat feel with a rainy day that turns into an adventure. Even the characters are very stylized with The Jolly Bupbup’s big eyes and twist cone hair. The animals too are dramatically exaggerated with cartoonish, human eyes and expressions and large heads that are stylistically disproportionate to their bodies.
The landscapes too blend in nicely with the characters with wavy, flooding rains overtaking the flat green grass. Then, there are the textures of the building materials, from the red brick house to the wooden boat. The sky effectively depicts a rainstorm without the scary colors and clouds that would have darkened this otherwise pleasant story.
Some confusing moments
Because picture books rely on illustrations to help tell the story, the story must work symbiotically with the illustrations to tell the same story, complete with details. The Jolly Bupbup is essentially just a little girl. We know this from the illustrations, but the narration is a bit cryptic in clarifying this. She’s never given another name.
There’s no mention of her parents or any other family members, just a line about those who meet her smile and nod their heads at her. But she lives in isolation. So we never see anyone other than the animals interact with her.
Speaking of the animals, the black and yellow cat introduced in the beginning of the book are said to get into mischief. However, they don’t cause any mischief in this book. In fact, they seem to be the voice of reason who stay inside and out of danger. We mostly see them worry about her or cheer her on from inside the house. They even worry about her wet feet.
The Jolly Bupbup is also said to have lost her jolliness after she loses her boat. But the next page shows her playing in the puddles the next day and looking happy and content. She’s not even on the lookout for her boat; she just comes across it by accident. Another nitpicky continuity error between the text and illustration include calling The Jolly Bupbup’s boat at sailboat when it’s actually a row boat.
Most confusing, though, is the Twinkles who are teased throughout the book, especially in the beginning, but they never make an appearance. They also do nothing to affect the plot either directly or behind the scenes. They feel like a set up for another book, but they’re a distraction to this story.
My recommendation
I recommend The Jolly Bupbup to older picture book readers who can sit through books with longer text on each page. The story is cute and mildly adventurous without being intense or scary. The animals have adorable parts to play. I just wish the text and illustrations were more cohesive, but younger readers will get the gist and will be geared up for more adventures with The Jolly Bupbup in the future.
The Interview
About the Author and Book
Author name/pen name: Ann P. Borrmann
Author links:
Book Title: The Jolly Bupbup
Genre: children’s picture book
Book Summary
The Bupbup is small and jolly and has lived all her life in the wood field. But a dreadful thing happens in the wood field and the jolly Bupbup goes on an unexpected adventure. Lots of things always happen in the wood field.
Book excerpt
This is the poem taken from the very start of the book, introducing the Twinkles.
I wonder…
Have you ever met a Twinkle
When you’ve been out to play?
Perhaps when you were walking
But always in the day.
Of course, they’re hard to notice;
Somewhat difficult to spot.
If you know what you are looking for,
A glimpse may just be caught.
Twinkles are glee-hearted,
Just as pleasant as can be,
And you cannot fail to notice that
On Thursdays they take tea.
That is the day to find them,
Since it’s Thursdays they like best.
Other days are used for napping,
Or for taking quiet rest.
If you’re wondering how to find one,
And you want to ask me where,
They’ve been spotted in the wood field
Breathing quantities of air.
Do check behind the maple
Look around each elm and ash
Make sure you’re watching keenly —
They can vanish in a flash.
Even if it’s raining,
You may spot them nonetheless;
And especially if it’s Thursday,
You will have the best success.
Review excerpts
“Combines masterful storytelling with fun and affection; deserves to be a children’s classic.” — KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred review)
“A delightful storybook for young children, worthy of the most lively story hour.” 5 out of 5 stars — INDIES TODAY
Talking Shop
What do you want readers to take away from your books?
This is a cosy bed-time type story, not didactic at all and so I want children to enjoy using their imaginations and to feel like they can go on the Bupbup’s adventure with her.
Name a fact or detail about your story that readers will never know is there.
Bupbup lives in a magical place called a wood field. This book is written for my granddaughter, whose last name is Woodfield.
What’s the best review/compliment that you’ve received about your book?
From Kirkus: “…deserves to be a children’s classic.” high praise indeed!
What is a fun or strange source of inspiration that ended up in your book?
My son-in-law’s sail boat was actually washed away during heavy rains, just like Bupbup’s boat was. The only difference is that Bupbup found her boat and had a happy ending, and my son-in-law’s boat was gone forever-… Nor did he get to have tea with the Twinkles!
How long did it take to write your book from the day you got the idea to write it to the day you published it?
5 months.
If you don’t make a living exclusively writing, what is your day job? How, in any way, does it relate to your life as a writer?
I am an elementary school teacher at a private school. As such, I see daily what types of books small children enjoy reading or having read to them.
Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of great writers?
Agatha Christie! That she could come up with so many plots is astounding to me!
What were your expectations for writing and publishing your first book? Have they changed since then?
As a self-published author, I wasn’t expecting it to cost so much nor there to be so much marketing involved on my end.
“What If” Scenarios
If your book ever becomes a movie and you get final say over the cast, which actors would you hire to play your characters?
The only character who speaks is a duck who says “quack!” – I think Benedict Cumberbatch would be perfect for the part – a duck with an English accent!
If you could have one person that you admire, living or dead, read your book, who would it be?
Julia Donaldson
Your favorite character that you’ve written comes to life for one day. What do you do together for 24 hours?
We would go to the wood field in search of Twinkles to have Thursday tea with!
Your book becomes a best seller. What do you do next?
Try to get traditionally published
Would you rather own your own book store or your own publishing house, and what would you sell or publish?
My own publishing house. It is very hard to get traditionally published if you are not a big name already. I would love to be able to help struggling ‘no name’ writers fulfill their dream of becoming traditionally published authors.
Your story gets picked up by a streaming service to make into a series. What service would you want it to be, and would you want them to follow your story closely, or would you rather see what directions they take it in?
I think Disney has a streaming service, and I think it would be fun to see what directions they would take it in.
Just for Fun
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I wrote this book for my granddaughter after she was born last year. I would love to be able to leave each subsequent grand child their own special book.
Favorite time of/part of your day.
Evenings
Favorite place you’ve visited/place you want to visit.
I have enjoyed travelling to Europe and Israel, but i have not yet been to Great Britain. Would love to do that yet at some point!
Food you’d like to win a lifetime supply of.
Quality chocolate…. or pizza.
Your most unrealistic dream job.
A famous author!
When time travel is achieved, do you go forward or backward?
Backward
Buy it!
Buy a copy of The Jolly Bupbup here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
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Loving your review and the following interview! The cover art looks playful and jolly. 🙂
Great review! It looks fun for kids who love animals.