Splish! Splosh! Why Do We Wash?: Experiments in the Bathroom (by Janice Lobb)

Bathtub playtime can be a good time to slip in a little science about waves and water, and SPLISH SPLOSH! WHY DO WE WASH? tries very hard to be fun while answering questions like "Why do I turn red in the tub?" It blends serious explanations with cartoonlike animals that tell riddles, and it suffers from the adult view that science has to be made cute to interest children. The whimsical animals will attract 5- and 6-year-olds, but they will be turning the pages and tuning out the scientific explanation. Older children will understand the science, but they may feel that the bathtub theme and the animals are babyish.

The questions and experiments also vary in quality. Very few children will wonder what hard water is. The experiment to understand how soap works shows how oil and water don't mix, but the explanation about emulsion, what happens when shampoo is added, doesn't go far enough.