SOLVED. Children's book - 2 in 1 - One story about a bubblegum blowing machine, one unrelated story about a monster(?) getting his first tricycle on his birthday. Read around 1992-1994. [s]

[Anthony]

Hardback, primarily red cover, I read it as a child probably around 1992-1994, but could have been published in the 80s.

The book contained two unrelated stories with unrelated characters.

The first story was about a bubblegum blowing machine. I feel like I remember maybe words like "amazing", "incredible", or "double" (as in double bubble) in the title, but those didn't help me on Google.

The second story was about a monster (or troll or similar) anticipating an upcoming birthday and getting their first tricycle. There was a special multilayer/multicolor birthday cake. I have less memory of the title of this story, but I feel like it may have had something to do with referring to the tricycle as a "big wheel".

[SBC]

Somebody else may be looking for this book and thought it was called something like "Harvey and the Amazing Bubble Gum Machine." They said "I am searching for a book that I think was called Harvey and the Amazing bubble gum machine. It was quite old. On the other side of the book was another book about monsters I think. So it was two books in one."

https://ask.metafilter.com/312956/Chi...

I don't know if this is that helpful, but thought I'd mention it, to see if the name "Harvey" rang a bell with you, as it sounds like the book you are looking for, but the title doesn't seem quite right as Google (and library catalogues) show nothing.

[Becca]

Could be The Red Book of Wordplay Stories by Susan Batko. This reviewer names the stories as 'The Bubble Gum Bubble Maker' and 'The Smallest Monster' (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)

Edit: there's also a copy on archive.org, here - https://archive.org/details/redbookof...

[Anne]

Agree, it's the Batko book.

[SBC]

Oh cool! Anthony, it's available on the Open Library if you want to read it to be sure. I just read it with my little person and it was fun. The bubble gum story is about Harvey who makes the machine and impresses everyone in his neighbourhood. The monster story is about the smallest monster who wants a monstercycle and has a birthday party with a big cake and multi-coloured icecream!

[Anthony]

Holy cow, Becca you're awesome. That's definitely the right book and simultaneously nothing like I remember it and exactly like I remember it. Thank you!

[Becca]

You're welcome!