A refreshing, amusing approach to overcoming ablutophobia in small children.
A bathtub has serious troubles.
This delightful picture book turns the widespread phenomenon of toddler bathtime fears on its head. In Rich’s ironic narrative, it is a white porcelain tub—not a child—who is most terrified of the hygienic ritual. The tub narrates the story, describing the horrors it is subjected to every time a White, female toddler is given a bath. First, its “eyeballs” (i.e., the faucet handles) get twisted and it gets “so freaked out” as water shoots out of its “nose” (the faucet spout). Then there is the agony of the toddler screaming in its “ear” (the hand sprayer), kicking its nose, and, yes, even pooping in the water. In reference to the scatological incident, the tub acknowledges, “that was a low point for both of us,” a one-liner sure to make adults chuckle in solidarity. But Rich’s real finesse comes in inviting readers to help the tub feel less afraid by making bathtime more relaxed and fun. The book’s skillfully crafted storyline will appeal to children as well as adults working to avoid meltdowns when little ones have a wash. Toro’s digitally composited hand-drawn and hand-painted illustrations—rendered in a limited palette and a cartoony style—are simple but inviting. The artwork effectively and endearingly anthropomorphizes the tub, sink, and toilet and clearly conveys the emotions of both the bathroom fixtures (who would have thought a tub’s terror could be so palpable?) and the human characters.
A refreshing, amusing approach to overcoming ablutophobia in small children. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-62833-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
If Black Lives Matter, they deserve more specificity than this.
A lushly illustrated picture book with a troubling message.
Little Lala walks with her father after his successful day of fishing. When Mama calls her home for bed, a host of “good night”s delays her: to the bird, the monkey, and even the rock. As Lala wanders through her village in the darkening twilight, readers appreciate its expansive beauty and Lala’s simple joys. Although it’s been artfully written and richly illustrated by an award-winning author of many multicultural stories, this book has problems that overshadow its beauty. “African veld” sets the story in southern Africa, but its vague locale encourages Americans to think that distinctions among African countries don’t matter. Lala wears braids or locks that stick straight up, recalling the 19th-century pickaninny, and her inconsistent skin color ranges from deep ebony like her father’s to light brown. Shadows may cause some of these differences, but if it weren’t for her identifiable hair, readers might wonder if the same child wanders from page to page. Perhaps most striking of all is Lala’s bedtime story: not an African tale but an American classic. While this might evoke nostalgia in some readers, it also suggests that southern Africa has no comparably great bedtime books for Lala, perhaps in part because American children’s literature dominates the world market.
If Black Lives Matter, they deserve more specificity than this. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-17384-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move.
An interactive board book promises a variety of experiences.
A book that gets kids up and moving sounds like a great idea. The half-circle cutout of the spine and large handle formed by another die cut on the right side are intriguing. Unfortunately, the rhyming instructions for using the book as an exercise prop are confusing. Even adults will find themselves puzzled when told to “paddle the floor,” or to “hang on the handles. Step over the book. / You're a turtle in its shell! Go peek out and look.” The busy pictures shift perspective according to each scenario presented but give few visual clues. For example, the only hint of a dinosaur on the page where readers are told to “put this book to your mouth and let out a roar” like a dinosaur are the teeth that line the edges of what is meant to be a gaping maw. It’s not always obvious whether the book is meant to be facing readers or turned away from them, adding another layer of confusion. Furthermore, many of the instructions run counter to how young children are typically taught to treat books, as when they are told to step on it and then waddle or to lift it with their feet. The relatively thin board pages and weak handles will soon be torn by normal handling; following the directions in the text will only hasten the destruction.
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8733-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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