There are some children who think having a bath or a shower is a form of torture. They have to be bribed or threatened before they will reluctantly agree to get clean. Many readers will be amused by today's picture book, but children who are apposed to getting clean will especially appreciate it.
Karma Wilson
Illustrated by Jim McMullan
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Little Brown, 2011, 978-0-316-98840-7
It is a warm day in May and Farmer has decided that he is going “spring-clean all his animals.” With water and soap, Farmer scrubs the ducks, horses, cows, goats, cats, and dogs. Then it is the pig’s turn to get clean, and Farmer encounters a problem. The pigs board up their pen and they make is absolutely clear that they do not want a “hogwash.”
Farmer is a very determined sort of man, so he decides to spray some water through a hole in the pig’s pen. If they won’t let him give them a bath, he will give then a shower instead. Unfortunately, the plan backfires. The water makes a ton of mud inside the pen and the pigs get dirtier than ever. Farmer is furious. “You oikers get me riled!” he says in frustration, and he sets about trying to trick his wily pigs into getting clean.
With a delicious rhyming text and amusing illustrations, this book is perfect for children who are bathaphobic. They are sure to appreciate this clever and outrageously funny story, and will surely find themselves rooting for the pigs.