Bernard's Bath - Joan Goodman
Bedtime read is great for reluctant bathers.
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Book details
- Author:Joan Goodman
- # of pages: 28
- Publisher:Boyds Mills Press
- Original Publication Date: 01/01/2000
- Genre: Fiction - Picture Book
- Paperback: $7.95
- Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: Ages 4-8
- Read Aloud: 4+
- Read Alone: 6+
Parents need to know
Parents need to know that beautiful illustrations show regal elephants. This simple, fun story is written in accessible prose.
Families can talk about learning to like something. Why is Bernard so reluctant? Have you ever discovered you enjoyed something you thought you wouldn't like? How did you change your mind?
Families can talk about learning to like something. Why is Bernard so reluctant? Have you ever discovered you enjoyed something you thought you wouldn't like? How did you change your mind?
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Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Amy Brotman
Bernard's "No bath" mantra is all too familiar to preschoolers and parents. Armed with boats, crayons, ducks, and bubbles, however, fun-loving Mama, Papa, and Grandma finally change this reluctant baby elephant's mind, until he's pleading to make his own splash. Delightful illustrations gracefully show Bernard's transformation from bath resister to a positively eager bather.
Is it any good?
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 five-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!
If your young reader likes BERNARD'S BATH, check out Bernard's Nap, and for more bath-avoidance literature, try Bath Time Boots, by Satoshi Kitamura.
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