Meet the Mubbles
There’s nothing drib drab about this book. Containing all sorts of unlikely creatures and concepts – the Uncertain Curtain, the Slug of Knowledge, the Laughing Leaves, Mubbles, Wibbles, and, yes, Drib Drabs – it is set on the Isle of Smile and unfolds in brightly coloured comic book form.
The story perhaps defies synopsis, but here goes: the cheerful life of the Isle’s inhabitants is one day interrupted by the appearance of a strange object, the Odd Ball. Gradually everyone is consumed by the mystery surrounding this contraption. The Drib Drabs haven’t been fed, and developments threaten to end the Mubbles’ colourful world for good.
The great relish of words and weird ideas in this title is reminiscent of Dr Seuss, while the frantic drawings recall a pre-Simpsons Matt Groening. 1960s style creations such as the Beatle’s Yellow Submarine film could be another influence. There’s lots of visual invention; each chapter has its own colour, the text is quirky and changeable, with the later chapters, when colour disappears, very striking. It would take a particularly dour reader not to laugh at the daftness (and cuteness) of the book’s many characters; the tale riotously mirrors the unfiltered barminess of children’s imaginings.
As a story, does it all add up though? You might argue that it doesn’t have to. Illogic is the order of the day here. The book’s ending perhaps doesn’t quite live up to expectations however (which were admittedly very high for me). Nevertheless, the journey of reading is a delight.
