Bears in the Bath

by Shirley Parenteau, David M. Walker (Illustrator)

Overview

“Irresistible. . . . Guaranteed to break down resistance to bathtime.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)

Splish! Splash! Sploosh! The adorable stars of Bears on Chairs and Bears in Beds are back, and they’re ready for a bath. Or are they? Whether the daily bath is a favorite event or a fraught one, this fun-to-read rhyming story and the silly antics of impossibly cute bears will make a splash with toddlers and parents alike. Available in a board-book edition!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763664183
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	04/08/2014
Series:	Bears on Chairs Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2014
PreS-Gr 1—Big Brown Bear inspects his dirty brood, beginning when "The bath is ready." The four cubs, all in need of a good scrub, are introduced one at a time-Floppy, Fuzzy, Calico, and Yellow Bear-each with a couplet explaining why the bath is necessary. Despite the cobwebs, mud, and grime, the bears don't want to get in the water. Big Brown Bear chases them around the tub, and "SPLISH, SPLASH, SPLOOSH!" -he jumps in and the rest of them follow. The rhyming text is sing-songy and smooth, despite the forced feeling of the introductory "there" and "bears." The subdued acrylic hues of the salmon pink, sky blue, soft yellow, tan, and light brown bears-and their resemblance to the kinds of simple, fuzzy bears used to decorate nurseries-create a childlike feel. The ample white space surrounding the bears allows children to focus on the cuddly critters. This is a sweet story for children to share with their grown-ups before bed or bath time or to pair with Brett Helquist's Bedtime for Bear (HarperCollins, 2010).—Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY

School Library Journal

2014-02-19
These bears, returning in the third book in the series having conquered chairs and beds (Bears in Chairs, 2009; Bears in Beds, 2012), are in need of a bath. Jaunty rhyme is the order of the day as Big Brown Bear draws the bath for Floppy, Fuzzy, Calico and Yellow Bear. Each bear is quite filthy and in need of a bath. But before the bath, the bears have to do their traditional paw-dragging: "All four bears / back away. / ‘We don't want / a bath,' they say." Grungy little ones will laugh at the antics of these jolly bears, who outsmart Big Brown Bear only to join him in the tub for a huge communal bubble bath. Wide swaths of white space highlight the pastel-colored bears and allow toddlers to notice how every detail in the text is shown in the illustrations. With large font and short phrases, each easy-to-read four-line stanza moves the story forward to its splashy conclusion. Children will be amused by the bouncy rhymes, which are easy for toddlers to grasp and eventually memorize. It's nice to read strong verbs like smudge, trudge, scoop, wriggle and giggle in a book for toddlers, helping them build their vocabulary and adding interest for the adults who will no doubt read this many times. Splish! Splash! Everyone will look forward to a bath. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews

With large font and short phrases, each easy-to-read four-line stanza moves the story forward to its splashy conclusion. Children will be amused by the bouncy rhymes, which are easy for toddlers to grasp and eventually memorize. It’s nice to read strong verbs like smudge, trudge, scoop, wriggle and giggle in a book for toddlers, helping them build their vocabulary and adding interest for the adults who will no doubt read this many times. Splish! Splash! Everyone will look forward to a bath.
—Kirkus Reviews

The rhyming text is sing-songy and smooth... The subdued acrylic hues of the salmon pink, sky blue, soft yellow, tan, and light brown bears–and their resemblance to the kinds of simple, fuzzy bears used to decorate nurseries–create a childlike feel. The ample white space surrounding the bears allows children to focus on the cuddly critters. This is a sweet story for children to share with their grown-ups before bed or bath time.
—School Library Journal

This charming book will entice young children with its bright palette and energetic narrative. Parenteau’s rhymes flow smoothly and employ an impressive array of synonyms to describe the young bears’ lack of cleanliness. The sketchy illustrations are loose but uncluttered, nicely capturing the simple joys of bath time with their vibrant colors. A sweet addition to the bath-time genre.
—Booklist Online

Walker’s acrylic paintings make the bears as adorable and personable as ever, and Parenteau’s peppy descriptions of their in-the-tub antics (“They toss the bubbles./ They giggle and shriek”) may persuade a few reluctant bathers to dive in.
—Publishers Weekly

Big Brown Bear wants to entice four "grimy" but stubborn cubs into the bath, and finds a wonderful way to accomplish his mission in this fresh twist on bathtime tales. ... David Walker uses acrylics like pastels, as he depicts an irresistible parade of toddler stand-ins tracking muddy paw prints hither and yon. ... Guaranteed to break down resistance to bathtime.
—Shelf Awareness (starred review)

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