Title: Bubba: A Gerbil’s Adventure
Authors: Richard Engel and Deborah Dominguez, MFT
Publisher: Xlibris US
ASIN: B07JKHP727
Pages: 67
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Reviewed by: Christina Avina

Read Book Review

There comes a time in everyone’s life that a sense of adventure or travel starts to call out to them, like a beacon in the night. The stagnation that daily life can bring often speaks to people seeking to shake up the repetitive nature which each day’s events can bring, and those lucky enough to have the means to do so will find themselves jet setting into parts unknown, embracing new cultures and looking for that missing part of themselves only travel can bring. And sometimes, travel can be the thing which shows us what we had all along.

This theme of adventure and exploration comes into play seamlessly in authors Richard Engel and Deborah Dominguez, MFT’s, Bubba: A Gerbil’s Adventure. The story follows Bubba, a gerbil who gains a higher level of intelligence and self-awareness than the average gerbil. Feeling lost and desperate for freedom, he makes his escape one day and begins his journey to see the world. Keeping in touch via email with his former owner/pet parent – a young girl named Debi, Bubba experiences a wide array of cultures, gets lost at sea, and discovers his true home and purpose along the way.

The authors do an excellent job of developing a well thought out narrative which speaks to parents and children alike. The fast-pace of the short story and the wealth of emotional character development the authors are able to bring to life on the pages allows readers to truly embrace both Bubba’s exciting, frightening, and whirlwind of emotions as his journey progresses; while also showing Debi’s emotional reactions to Bubba’s disappearance and subsequent emails. The globe-trotting settings and the inquisitive atmosphere the authors were able to showcase throughout this book really allowed readers to connect to Bubba and his adventure.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy children’s books, especially those who enjoy short stories or short reads, and stories which embrace the fantasy yet realistic story elements that books like Charlotte’s Web had embraced in the past. The powerful themes of family, adventure, travel, and identity, all played a role in this narrative, and the need to find their place in the world and experience what this world has to offer, made this book feel both engaging and heartfelt in its delivery.