The Bubble Gum Factory — Judith Dompierre

Discover the world of gum through the eyes of a young boy that makes the world more beautiful. He floats with his friends and animals through the sky with some help from bubble gum. Did you know, and is it true? Chewing gum is one of the oldest candies in the world. Spearmint, peppermint and cinnamon are among the most popular flavors of chewing gum today. The first bubble gum cards were issued in the 1930s. The pictures ranged from war heroes to Wild West figures to professional athletes. The color of the first successful bubble gum was pink, because it was the only color the inventor had left. The largest bubble ever blown was 22-23 inches in diameter, 1 1/2 times the size of a large pizza! There are more than 1,000 varieties of gum made and sold in the United States. The longest gum wrapper chain was 7,400 feet in length (about 1 ½ miles). Earlier, most gums were handmade, today all gums are made using machines. In the past, people used to believe that if you swallow chewing gum, it stayed in your stomach for 7 years!