Bathtime for Chickies by Janee Trasler (review)

One mud puddle plus three chickies (from Bedtime for Chickies) equals a mess, and a large pig (oh, the irony) insists that the little birds bathe, despite their protests. Once they add more toys to the watering trough tub, they’re happy, but it isn’t long before they’re in need of another cleaning, after a fragrant run-in with beauty products and perfume. A cow then prepares a bath in a bucket and admonishes them to “wash your feathers. Wash your wings./ Wash your feet and other things,” which the chickies do (after demanding more bubbles). Their cleanliness lasts only until a cupcake encounter leaves them “sticky chickies,” and a sheep sets up a watering can shower for the trio. After a bit more soap, the chickies are finally all clean, but “once they’re clean and shiny too,/ what will little chickies do?” The answer is, of course, jump back in the mud puddle, and after a moment’s consideration, sheep, cow, and pig join them: “Woo-hooooo!” The buoyant, rhyming text of this board book is a hoot to read aloud and there’s plenty of participation opportunities offered by the animals’ washing directives (“Wash these tummies. Wash those ears./ Wash your fronts, wash your rears”). The tidy illustrations are comical, and the solid, slightly mottled backgrounds, chunky figures, and squiggly black outlines lend a chipper homespun quality to the art. The chickies themselves, basically yellow spheres with wings and feet, are adorable, especially when sporting headgear (a shower cap, a sailor hat, an upside-down cupcake). Toss this in a bath-themed storytime lineup, or perhaps devote an entire storytime to the chickies’ various adventures.