This loses a star because the prose is stilted by lack of contractions--makes it sound "Charlie and Lola"-ish. That works in those books but not here. It's a pity, because there is some nice word use and the art here is great. Michael Paraskevas created the fabulous early NickJr cartoon "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast", and it serves the story well here as Livi terrifies her baby brother as a "snake",slinks through the jungle, pounces as a cat and more. Enjoyable, but it could have been really great, and the language detracts from the experience. This delightful children's book is one of my 2 1/2-year-old daughter's favorites. We had this book on loan from the library and kept renewing it; when the renewals ran out, we bought it. Unlike the bland heroines of many children's books, Livi (whose reluctant journey to bathtime makes up the plot of this book) is believable and likeable: she's extremely imaginative but also willful and slow to listen, qualities my daughter instantly identified with. My daughter loved this book so much that after only three or four reads, she had already memorized much of the narrative, and she now recites it along with me. She never tires of getting caught up in Livi's imaginary adventures: she especially loves the parts about "Leo and Melly" and the "unsuspecting gopher."* She also gets very excited when Livi's mother begins her "countdown" at the climax of the book--I find it is really fun to "play up" the drama here. Great fun to read aloud, with a heroine my daughter instantly took to--this one is a real winner.*EDIT: After I read this review to my daughter, she asked me to mention that she also likes when Livi swings on a vine through a jungle. So there you have it.
What do You think about On My Way To The Bath (2012)?
This one is really fun! Storytime themes: bath, adventure, pretending/make believe/imagination
—Anne
Is this why my child takes so long to do things? Cute, funny and will resonate with parents.
—AeH
An entertaining celebration of a child's imagination.
—nejatbozkurt
