New from First Second: Bubble Trouble!

First Second Books is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a flurry of new book announcements, and we’re happy to be able to present the latest: Bubble Trouble, a picture comic book (that’s a picture book with some comics elements) by Jason Eaton and Matt Rockefeller. Here’s the short description:

This is really just your typical “boy meets bubble, boy tries to pop bubble, boy loses bubble, boy tries to catch up to bubble, boy loses bubble again, boy doubles down and determines to pop that bubble, boy is confounded over and over by pesky bubble as he grows increasingly desperate and inventive in his efforts to pop it until finally something completely unexpected happens” story.

It’s a very classic picture book setup, the sort of thing that starts out as a simple idea and gets crazier as the story goes along. Eaton is the author of a number of picture books, including Great, Now We’ve Got Barbarians!, The Catawampus Cat, How to Train a Train, and How to Track a Truck, and he has also worked in television and film, where his credits include writing the story for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. And his bio concludes: “Jason spends the remainder of his time pursuing a bubble that got away from him when he was 8! It is round and translucent and was last seen floating over the George Washington Bridge. If you see it please let him know.”

Rockefeller is an illustrator and comics artist who has done work for Harper Collins, Algonquin Young Readers, and Workman Publishing, including the Brain Quest grade 5 workbook. His comment: “I’m excited for Bubble Trouble because of its determined and resourceful main character, Dewey, who will take any measure to accomplish his simple but important task!”

In case you missed them, here are some of the other new kids’ and YA titles First Second has announced so far this month:

First Friends, a story about bullying and friendship in elementary school, by Shannon Hale (Rapunzel’s Revenge) and LeUyen Pham.

Crafty Cat, by Cherise Mericle Harper:

Birdie’s panda birthday is going to be perfect, but after a cupcake accident, a maliciously inclined litterbug, and bossy classmate Anya everything is ruined. Should Birdie run away and cry? Not a chance, because her crafting alter-ego Crafty Cat can save the day!

Peter and Ernesto, by Graham Annable, a story about two sloths who are best friends.

Little Sid, by Ian Lendler and Xanthe Bouma, a story about the childhood of Siddhartha, who later became the Buddha. The book blends traditional Buddhist stories with the story of a prince who is dissatisfied with his life comfortable and goes off on a journey in search of deeper meaning.

Cold Iron Wars, a young adult fairy story by Mairghread Scott and Robin Robinson:

The graphic novel centers on a young girl named Isabel who is the key to settling the war between two feuding factions of fairies. Set in early 20th century San Francisco, the fairy war sees both the fairy and human side of the dividing line, the Veil, fall into destruction via the battles, vicious mermaids, an evil prince, and other wicked entities.

Grimoire Noir, by Vera Greentea and Yana Bogatch:

Bucky Orson is a bit angsty, but who isn’t at fifteen? His best friend left him to hang out with way cooler friends, his cop dad is always in his business, and in a world where boys are forbidden to read—and only girls, with their inherent magical powers, get access to books—he feels left behind. When his little sister goes missing, Bucky has to get out of his own head and investigate the small town that gave him so much grief, only to discover a conspiracy that will change his mind and the lives of the inhabitants forever.

Bloom, by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau, a love story set in a bakery:

As Panetta describes it, the story is “a bit of a coming of age story. It takes place right after high school for the main character Ari, who works in his family’s bakery and wants to leave and forge his own path. And then his dad asks him to find a replacement. This guy that he finds, he then starts to develop a romantic relationship with. And it has baking in it — lots and lots of baking.”

Filed under: All Ages