Bears in the Bath

Reviewed by: Deidre Walsh - Goodall Library, Sanford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 4, 2016

Review

Bath time has never been so fun or silly. Father bear has the tub all ready for his 4 bear cubs who are no where to be found. One by one, they come in, each more smelly or dirty than the other. All four of the cubs are in need of a bath. And all four of them, most certainly do not want a bath. Father bear has his hands full trying to gather them all into the tub, with no success. Father bear is now in need of a bath himself. He hopes into the tub and has lots of fun with the bubbles and the toys. Finally all four cubs jump in the tub and join the fun with their father. The acrylic illustrations are cheerful and sweet. Pastel tones of blues, pinks, yellows and browns. They enhance the story and flow with the text beautifully. The story is cute. But any child could make up a complete story just by "reading" the illustrations. The rhyme flows nicely throughout the story. There are a couple of places where the rhythm seems to change beat from the rest of the story. It may be a bit off putting to the adult reader the first time reading. But it still has a nice rhyme and it is never forced. Kids will love listening to this happy rhyming story. And parents will identify with the trials and tribulations of getting their wee ones into the bathtub. Since this is an average size board book it would not work well in large group settings. It would be best as one on one sharing or small group settings. For babies & toddlers, birth through 3 years old. Bath time is a popular theme in children's picture books. This one is refreshing in that it depicts the father taking care of the children. Plus the illustrations are cute and the rhythm of the text is happy. This would be lovely as a gift with a teddy bear, and baby washcloths in a basket. For story time pair with "Tubby" by Leslie Patricelli, "Splish, Splash Baby" by Karen Katz. Purchase where board books are needed.

Overall Book Score: very good