Second banana

Title:

Second banana

Author:

Summary:

"A picture book about Oop, a gorilla, who is second banana to The Amazing Mr. Bubbles, a monkey, until one day, Mr. Bubbles finds himself in trouble and Oop has to save the day"-- Provided by publisher.

Physical Description:

1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 29 cm

Genre:

Subject Term:

Publisher:

Roaring Brook Press,

Publication Date:

2015

ISBN:

9781596438835

Publication Information:

New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2015.

Call Number:

P GRAVES

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003033266	Picture Books	GRAVES	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

"Think of us as bananas. Obviously, I am Top Banana. The Big Banana. Numero Uno Banana. You are Second Banana," says the Amazing Bubbles, the star of the circus.

And what does Oop, the Second Banana, do? A Second Banana helps fill the pool so Top Bananas can dive. They hold the music so Top Bananas can entertain the crowd. They keep the tires full of air so Top Bananas can drive. In short, they are not the stars of the circus.

But what happens when a Top Banana gets hurt and an eager Second Banana has to stand in his place?

Author Notes

Keith Graves is the author and illustrator of many hilarious picture books for children, including Chicken Big, Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance, and the upcoming The Monsterator , the latter from Roaring Brook Press. Keith lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Nancy, and twins, Max and Emma.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2-Amazing Bubbles is the star of the circus. This monkey is dramatic. He's stylish-he's Top Banana! His sidekick, a gorilla named Oop, is Second Banana. Big, sweet, and blundering, Oop is always there to help, although she wants to be a star performer, too. When Bubbles injures his toe, Oop gets her chance. "Oops!" she says as she creates one disaster after another. Her miscues are made more hilarious by her expressions. Her ridiculous inability to do anything right, in the end, is met with great acclaim. The jumbled, frantic action of Oop's attempts to save the day are fittingly represented in comic-style frames. The cartoon illustrations are in pencil and digital color. This goofy story about the friendship between a monkey and a gorilla (and a mouse) is a delight.-Gaye Hinchliff, King County Library System, WA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

When is it all right to boss people around, and who gets to do it? Graves's (The Monsterator) tale about scaling the hierarchy offers sharp writing, polished artwork, and some unexpected character development. The Amazing Bubbles is a shrewd monkey who stars in his own circus act. Oop, an oversize gorilla with an underslung jaw, is Bubbles's faithful helper. Patronizingly, Bubbles explains why Oop can't be the star: "Obviously, I am the Top Banana. The Big Banana. Numero Uno Banana. You are Second Banana." Then Bubbles gets a "boo-boo," and Oop volunteers to step in, crashing Bubbles's clown car, smashing the diving pool, hammering the keys off of Bubbles's toy piano, and-unexpectedly-delighting the audience. Clouds of smoke, colossal explosions, and comic-book exclamations could overwhelm the pages, but a milky pastel palette keeps them restrained. Quieter scenes, meanwhile, explore the relationship between Oop and her mouse sidekick. In the end, Bubbles warmly acknowledges Oop's achievement with a promotion, while Oop starts to assume Bubbles's overweening personality. It's a neat ending, though a slightly chilly one. Ages 7-10. Agent: Liza Pulitzer Voges, Eden Street Literary. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.