Bernard's Bath (by Joan Elizabeth Goodman)

This is a good bedtime read: Warm, friendly family members and an easy-to-relate-to subject draw kids into the story. Joan Elizabeth Goodman's text is simple, as Mama, Papa, and Grandma make the transition from pleading pachyderms to ebullient elephants as they splash in the tub. One 5-year-old especially liked the author's description of "pink syrup" that turned into "mountains of bubbles."

Dominic Catalano's talent with pastels is apparent when Bernard sees the expressions on the faces of his three elephant elders transform from giddiness to guilt, but it's Bernard's eagerness to finally get in the tub, and his exuberant splash, that readers will enjoy the most. And therein lies the fun-filled lesson: Try something--you just might like it!