Professor Bumble and the Monster of the Deep

by: Daniel Napp

Published by: Abrams Books for Young Readers (May release)

Reviewed by Muhammed Hassanali

Professor Bumble (bear) and his friend Beluga (goldfish) are creatures of habit. Every Monday they go for a swim. On one particular Monday, Otter is fishing in their favorite spot. He senses that their swimming would scare away the fish. He leaves in a huff, warning them about the Monster of the Deep.

The bear is reluctant to enter the water, but the fish eagerly wants to go for a swim – fishbowl and all. Soon the fishbowl is tipped. Professor Bumble fears the worst; he puts on his swim gear and dives in to save his friend. In the murky depths of the lake, Beluga mistakes Professor Bumble for the monster, and attacks the bear’s pneumatic flotation devices. Otter thinks the bubbles are a big fish. As Professor Bumble rockets to the surface, Otter runs away in fright. Professor Bumble and Beluga return home to complete their Monday swim in the bathtub.

My six-year-old read the entire book himself. As “Beluga” and “Bumble” both begin with the letter “B”, he was forced to read their names. He managed to breakdown “nevertheless,” but had trouble with “goodness gracious.”

Illustrations fill in the gaps in narration, and are essential to providing a coherent story. We laughed at the anthropomorphic illustrations, and in anticipation of what would come next. We cheered for Professor Bumble as he thought of his friend’s safety, despite his own fears; for Beluga at his bravery; and for the poetic justice that befell Otter.

My son made the following observations: While Professor Bumble is cautious around water by wearing his safety gear (even in the bathtub), he does not wear a bike helmet when riding to the lake. He wears swim trunks while swimming, but is “naked” while riding. The illustration showing Professor Bumble as the Monster of the Deep does not exactly fit Otter’s “five eyes” description (there are six eyes, one is not shown in the illustration). Professor Bumble’s snorkel would be ineffective below the surface. The very first illustration shows a road sign in the middle of a field.

While I appreciate all his observations, this dad felt that he was being super critical!!

Armchair Interviews says: Goodness gracious, a fun story for kids about friendship, and overcoming fear.

Author’s Web site: http://www.Danel-Napp.de