BATHE THE CAT
By: Alice B. McGinty
Illustrated by: David Roberts
Published: February 8, 2022
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Fiction
An imminent visit from Grandma means the family needs to all pitch in to clean the house. The floor needs to be mopped, the dishes washed, the rug vacuumed, the fish fed, the lawn mowed, and someone needs to bathe the cat. The cat hears this and decides he isn’t on board with this plan.
The alphabet letters on the fridge dictate the jobs that need to be done. So the cat decides to move the letters around. More playing than cleaning is happening and suddenly, Grandma will be here in an hour. When the list is checked, it now says to feed the floor, scrub the fish, vacuum the lawn, and mow the cat.
The cat doesn’t like that idea either, so he shuffles the letters another time. Soon Grandma will be here in just ten minutes. Will the house get clean in time and who is going to bathe the cat?
A rhyming scheme, hilarious antics, and illustrations that give a vivid picture of the reactions and chaos that ensues throughout the story mean this a perfect read-aloud. There are lots of opportunities for voices and over-the-top reactions. Kids are sure to giggle at the dad attempting to mop the fish or sweep the baby. The cat’s reactions to each task for the cat are silly and the combination of jobs will have kids wanting to add some silliness to your chore time at home.
The characters in the story are an interracial family that consists of two dads. Kids that have a hard time finding books that might fit their own home situation will be thrilled to see a comical story and one that is full of love. The story features compromises, teamwork (ok, maybe not from the cat), and lots of love and laughter to make the cleaning fun. When Grandma arrives, she doesn’t care about the clean house, she just wants hugs from her grandchildren.
Alice B. McGinty is the award-winning author of more than 40 books for children. Her picture book biography Darwin was named an NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor book and was a 2009 Booklist Top Ten Biographies for Youth. Alice was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has lived in New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Maryland, Georgia, and Indiana. She currently resides in Urbana, Illinois.
David Roberts is an award-winning illustrator of children’s books, including Iggy Peck, Architect; Rosie Revere, Engineer; and Ada Twist, Scientist. He is currently based in London.
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Posted Under Alice B. McGinty, Book Review, cats, Children's books, David Roberts, fiction, LGBTQ