A Wet Wild Rollicking Expedition

Dogs and children have notable activities in common.  They love to sprint when they should walk.  They refuse to move when they should dash.  They like to dig in the dirt and sand.  They like to walk through and roll around in mud. They are constantly searching for the perfect stone or rock.  One of the most puzzling things is their attraction to water, rain, snow, streams, or lakes, but the merest mention of bath time has them seeking the ultimate hidden nook, far removed from the tub.

When respected and gifted creators successfully collaborate and return, readers rejoice.  The first title,  Bedtime for Sweet Creatures (Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky, January 14, 2020) written by Nikki Grimes with pictures by Elizabeth Zunon, portrays the nighty ritual of a patient parent persuading a reluctant child to go to bed.  In their second book, Off to See the Sea (Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky, January 12, 2021), a child is coaxed into a watery excursion extraordinaire.

"BATH TIME,"

I whisper in your ear.

Those words send the laughing child scampering to hide.  Not to be deterred, their mother invites them to a wondrous place.  Here a waterfall flows from the faucet.

The child is lifted and placed into the newly formed sea.  Mother shouts out a warning.  There might be monsters.  Is that a rubber ducky on the loose?

Squeals and splashes blend.  The child grasps their nose and disappears beneath the surface.  What will they find?  Two tugboats, a gift from daddy, carry mother and child safely over wild waves.

Bubbles still bounce on the surface as a special, floating book is read.  In the blink of an eye the pulled plug supplies an exit for the special, daily realm.  A new routine causes giggles and squirms.  A trio wanders from the room, all knowing the adventure will begin anew soon.

The everyday becomes enchanting through the masterful writing of Nikki Grimes.  She opens the doors of our minds inviting us to swim, dive, sail, and savor the sea found in our imaginations.  Her lyrical descriptions using alliteration supply us with a joyful cadence.  The inclusion of the mother's dialogue makes the story more personal, generating a connection to readers' real-life experiences.  Here is a passage.

Then down, down you go,

slip-sliding 

into a

SOFT-SCENTED

SEA.

"Now, was that so bad?" I ask.

You play pretend and sniffle.

When you look at the matching and open dust jacket and book case, you are greeted with a burst of vibrant color.  Bubbles rise from the waterfall forming from the faucet.  The child is no longer hiding, but ready to move into the sea scene.  This image, on the right, front, of the jacket and case, is a combination of reality and nightly, motherly inventiveness.  To the left, on the back, we move closer to elements from the story.  There are bubbles, tiny fish, another jellyfish, starfish, a crab, shells, flowers, a toy boat, the yellow rubber ducky, and a sandcastle with a shovel and pail next to it.  The shade of color for the canvas is the same on the front and back.  Certain elements on the front and back are varnished.  The first sentence from the book is shown on the back.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a collage of patterned papers.  They are layered in horizontal rows like waves rolling in from the sea.  On the title page, the yellow rubber ducky is resting on the "A" in SEA.  To the left of the text is the empty white bathtub.

The art 

was created using oil and acrylic paint with cut paper collage, marker, and gel pen

by the excellent Elizabeth Zunon.  Each item is placed with care on each page on carefully selected backgrounds.  The pictures span two pages, edge to edge except for the first and last images on single pages. On these visuals Elizabeth Zunon employs a variety of perspectives, enhancing the pacing of the narrative.  The facial expressions on the mother's, father's, and child's faces are endearing and full of warmth.  Affection abounds in this family.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a canvas of palest yellow.  Across the two pages in different sizes are bubbles.  In nine of them, acting as mirrors, are the child's face.  Happiness is reflected in each one.  Their eyes are alight with pure contentment.  Their cheeks are rounded from happiness.  In several of them an open mouth indicates shouts of merriment.

In many families, bath time is a habit with rambunctious results.  Through the talents of author Nikki Grimes and artist Elizabeth Zunon, it becomes a glorious, lighthearted romp in Off to See the Sea. This is a book to inspire other original voyages.  You'll want to make sure you have a copy in your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Nikki Grimes and Elizabeth Zunon and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the link attached to their names.  Nikki Grimes has accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  Elizabeth Zunon has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Elizabeth Zunon has a blog here.  Elizabeth Zunon answers five questions at The Horn Book.  Here is a link to a virtual launch for this book with both Nikki Grimes and Elizabeth Zunon at Books of Wonder.

Who Needs A What?

Have you ever watched a little boy or girl walk along a sidewalk after a rain storm?  Inevitably there are puddles.  Even if these puddles are not along their particular route, they will make a detour, jumping in them with unrestrained glee.  If you take this same little boy or girl and mention the word bath, they will vanish like a puff of smoke.  What's the big deal?  After all, it's just water...right?

It's the same way with Xena.  She swims for hours in a lake, having to be caught to get her out.  As soon as the shower is turned on, she disappears or if she is in the bathroom, she cements herself to the floor.  Given these scenarios, it should go without saying our feathered friend who wants to drive a bus, wants to stay up late, wants a puppy, finds a hot dog and wonders why Duckling gets a cookie, would also be reluctant to be less dirty.  The Pigeon Needs a Bath! (Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group), words and pictures by Mo Willems, takes a hilarious look at one stubborn bird.

Hi! I don't know if you've noticed, but the Pigeon is filthy.  So, I could use your help, because:

The Pigeon Needs a Bath!

That is a matter of opinion.

The Pigeon truly thinks the bus driver (clad in a bathrobe, shower cap and bunny slippers, carrying a towel) is joking.  A little dirt never hurts anyone.  Scratching himself, the Pigeon is fairly certain he took a bath last month.  Why would he need one now?

He feels clean even if he looks dirty, really dirty.  He starts to get feisty, asking the reader if perhaps they might need a bath, until he receives a reply.  Oh, oh...smell...what smell?

Now the flies are starting to circle him.  When they leave with exclamations of

P. U.! and
Take a bath, dude!

he finally gives in.  He'll do it, if for no other reason than to make the reader (and the bus driver) happy.

Standing next to the tub, he realizes this might not be such a good idea.  It takes him forever to get the water temperature, depth of the water and the proper amount of toys to his precise specifications.  With a big

SPLASH!

he's in.

In a flash his attitude changes.  You would think he might be part duck he loves it so much.  You will never guess what he says

TEN HOURS LATER.


At no time does Mo Willems miss a beat with the word choices in his books.  The give and take dialogue between the Pigeon and an unseen or unheard narrator, except for the bus driver in the beginning, is exactly what we've come to expect from this bird that knows his mind (or thinks he does).  His snappy replies, musings and emotional outbursts are awash with laughter. Here is a sample of two pages.

And if I do---
it's a very normal smell!

For a pigeon.

Y'know, in some places it is impolite to bathe.

Mo Willems starts his story on the book case.  The Pigeon is already talking to the reader.  On the back, grimy with a fly buzzing around him, he asks how someone could possibly take time for

basic hygiene 

when there are these other Pigeon books to read.

The opening endpapers show the Pigeon up to his neck in a mud puddle happily splashing.  On the closing endpapers his equally joyful self is engaged in a similar activity in the bath tub.  The title page, verso and dedication pages include portions of the narrative as well.

Shades of brown provide the background for the Pigeon, feather-deep in denial as to his state of cleanliness.  There is a single page for each phrase, with the perspective altering according to his mood.  Twenty-nine smaller images feature his ever-changing techniques to avoid actually getting into the water.  The colors used as he washes, purple, green, blue, rose, orange and yellow (including the ring around the tub) compliment and contrast with the earlier illustrations.

One of my favorite pictures is when the three flies are leaving him because of his strong obnoxious smell.  The look on his face of resignation makes me want to burst out laughing.  You can almost hear him sigh.

Fans of this character's previous books will laugh loud and long when reading The Pigeon Needs a Bath! written and illustrated by Mo Willems.  Even if there is only an audience of one (you), read this book aloud!  Better yet, find someone to read it to over and over.  It gets better every time.  I'm still smiling.

Please be sure to follow the links embedded in Mo Willems and the Pigeon's names to access their websites.  UPDATE On Twitter John Schumacher, teacher librarian and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read.,  mentioned the activity kit for this title. Enjoy the book trailers and interview below.