To the tune of songs like “Lil’ Boo Thang,” Big Poppa, otherwise known as Matt Mattingly, used sticks and twine which he dipped into a vat of soap to create bubbles of all sizes and often vast numbers.  As the show began, he told the dozens of children, “I came all the way from the Bubble Kingdom today. I’m going to give you the opportunity to pop as many bubbles as your heart desires.”  Why the tunes?  “Bubbles love music, if you didn’t know.”

As he worked, he invited the kids to come forward in age groups to help make sure as many of them as possible did not escape the library grounds.  The result was that he was followed around the yard by dozens of leaping, lunging girls and boys, getting some exercise on a warm but not torrid July afternoon.

It was Big Poppa’s return visit to Hope.  After last year’s show, he disclosed that he is from Conway and can be found making bubbles for audiences anywhere between Texas and Memphis.  He has been in the professional lather business for eight years now after someone seeing him creating bubbles in a park asked if he did children’s parties. 

Hope was his second stop today in our coverage area.  He did a show at Prescott’s City Park as part of the Nevada County Library’s Summer Reading Program this morning.  

The Summer Reading Programs at both libraries continues The next Nevada County event is the Wild Things Safari on Tuesday July 22nd at the library.

At Hope’s Hempstead County Library,  Balloon Man arrives Thursday July 17th at 2:00 p.m.  Zoofari comes to the library Tuesday July 22nd at 2:00 p.m.  Then on Tuesday July 29th, Magic Mr. Nick brings his show at 1:00 p.m. and a Bubble Party happens at 2:00 p.m.