The Gumazing Gum Girl! (sometimes referred to simply as Gum Girl!) is an American chapter book series written and illustrated by Rhode Montijo (who was one of the creators of Mondo Media's Happy Tree Friends) and sometimes co-authored by Luke Reynolds, and published by Disney-Hyperion and Little, Brown & Company. The series began on August 20, 2013.
Premise[]
The series revolved around Gabby Gomez, a young Hispanic gum-obsessed Fillmore Elementary School student girl who becomes a sticky, stretchy superhero gum humanoid creature, Gum Girl, after accidentally electrocuting herself by blowing a bubble that was way too big. As Gum Girl, Gabby risks her life to fight criminals and save the day with her friends.
Characters[]
- Gum Girl
- Bubble Boy
- Amy Gomez
- Dr. Gomez
- Ms. Smoot
- Mr. Hansen
- Brainstomer
- Ravi
- Ninja-Rina
- Ninja-Rina's Mother
- Sol Azteca
- Chief Yee
- Robo-Chef
- The Underhander
- The Everhander
- Ikal
- The Jaguares
- The Cocodrilos
- The Escaped Monkeys
- Carmen
- Crackers the Parrot
- The Mayor (The Gumazing Gum Girl!)
Upcoming characters[]
According to Kid's BookBuzz, there were upcoming characters for the series, Crab Man and Evil Wind.
Early Concept[]
Original Gum Girl Sketch[]
- Gum Girl had no bangs or pupils.
Gum Girl Comics and Sketches[]
- The series was originally going to be a comic book series.
- Some scenes in the final version, like Mrs. Gomez punishing Gabby, wasn't in the early version of the series.
- In the early version, Gum Girl said "How am I going to explain this to my mom? She hated when I always chewed gum, now I am gum!" However in the final version, she did not.
- The purse thief had a slightly different design.
Gum Girl Drawings[]
- Gum Girl was in the darker shade of pink.
Gum Girl Gumball Machine[]
- The series' logo had a different design or font.
- Gum Girl was in the darker shade of pink.
Gum Girl Stretches and Transformation[]
- The series' logo had a different design.
- Gabby's bow is white instead of pink.
- Gum Girl was in the darker shade of pink
Gum Girl Models[]
- Gum Girl had no reflections.
Inspiration[]
The series took an inspiration of comic books from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Reception[]
Awards[]
The first Gum Girl book, "Chews Your Destiny", won the Sequoyah Book Awards in 2016.
Critical Response[]
The book series was published to immediate critical acclaim. Some reviewers praised the book series as an exciting way to learn to read in English and in Spanish, particularly compared to the primers that it supplanted. Kirkus Reviews noted the book series' heavy use of humor and sequences. Kirkus wrote, "Perfectly paced and bursting with laughs....". BCCB wrote, "...a welcome addition to the ranks of early-elementary superkids."
Chews Your Destiny, Gum Luck, and Popped Star in Korean.
International[]
| Country | Title | Language |
|---|---|---|
| US | The Gumazing Gum Girl! | English |
| Canada | ||
| UK | ||
| Australia | ||
| Mexico | La Fantastica Gum Girl! | Spanish |
| Argentina | ||
| Puerto Rico | ||
| Chile | ||
| Spain | ||
| North Korea | 풍선껌 소녀 | Korean |
| South Korea | 풍선껌 소녀 |
Merchandise[]
The series spawn merchandise, like Gum Gurl bootleg shirts, Gum Girl pins, and Gum Girl Valentine's Day cards.
Books[]
| Cover | Title | Author | Plot | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
   |
Chews Your Destiny |
|
Gabby Gomez loves chewing gum so much that she falls asleep chewing it, only to wake up covered in gum. Although her mother bans her from chewing gum, Gabby discovers that if she chews a special kind of gum, blows it up and has it pop all over her, she has super powers. | August 20, 2013 |
  |
Gum Luck |
|
Gabby fights with the villain, Robo Chef, who wants to take revenge for the embarrassment that happened to him at a baking event due to gum. Gabby’s problem is that her parents said no more to gum, but Gabby just found out that she was Gum Girl. | June 13, 2017 |
  |
Popped Star |
|
As Gabby Gomez is trying to tell her family she is Gum Girl, she encounters Ninja-Rina, a masked ballerina for whom no crime is "tutu" big. | April 3, 2018 |
  |
Cover Blown |
|
Gum Girl and her family visit Mexico to met a famous luchador, Sol Azteca. | October 10, 2019 |
 |
Stick Together! |
|
Back from Spring Break and the trip of a lifetime, Gabby has a new friend by her side...former bully Natalie Gooch. With their friendship blossoming, Gabby is eager to fight for justice and protect her town. But when Mr. Hansen returns to Fillmore Elementary acting a little bit nutty, Gabby learns that danger might be closer than it seems. Will a Gum Girl team finally assemble? Or will Gabby Gomez finally be stretched to her limits? | September 7, 2021 |
Book Packs[]
TV Show Adaptation[]
In 2021, according to Nancy Cartwright, DreamWorks Animation and CRE84U are developing an animated show based on the series.
Trivia[]
- The Gumazing Gum Girl! was originally going to be a picture book, but it was too short for the Gum Girl story, so it will originally going to be retooled into the comic book series, but Disney/Hyperion said it will be better as a chapter book series.
External links[]
References[]
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