Who's In The Tub? Book

Whether he likes it or not, it's time for Willy John Jones to take a bath! But when he gets into the tub, he finds not only warm water and bubbles but . . . a duck? Three turtles? A dolphin and an octopus? Willy's tub looks more like an aquarium than a place to take a bath. How will he ever get clean?

In this unique picture book, stepped pages add a new creature to Willy's bathtub with each turn of the page. Pascale Constantin's lively illustrations will provide additional fun for any young reader's bathtime routine.

Children's Literature

Having created one appealing book about getting a reluctant child to bed, Jones and Constantin now have the same Willy John Jones delaying getting into the bath. They also repeat the format of stepped-down pages—taking five to get Willy John into the tub and another five to finally get him out, proving Mom's point: "Willy, you love a bath once you get in! Why do you have to stall before you begin?" The text is a dialogue between the boy and his mother, who never appears. The pictures carry an important part of the story—the imaginative play with his bath toys that first keeps Willy out and then keeps him in the tub, both taking too long for Mom. The book uses a light touch that might help open a discussion for parents dealing with similar bath-time issues. Although there is no overt reference to math, this book does provide some interesting ways the number 8 gets composed and decomposed between the seven bathtub toys and Willy. The only caveat I have is the concern that the child is shown unsupervised in the bathtub—okay for 5- and 6-year-olds but not at all safe for the toddlers who are likely to enjoy this book. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry