Who Needs a Bath?

by Jeff Mack, Jeff Mack (Illustrator)

Overview

This funny picture book is perfect for getting young readers excited about bath time and is a delightful read-aloud to share.

Bear and Skunk return in this follow-up to author-illustrator Jeff Mack's acclaimed Who Wants a Hug? Bear has a plan to throw Skunk a surprise birthday party, but shhh—it's a secret! There's just one problem—who wants to party with a stinky skunk? Bear thinks of the perfect solution; now if only he can convince Skunk that baths are fun…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062220288
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jeff Mack spent most of his childhood drawing monsters, making comic books, and building haunted houses in his basement. He has spent most of his adulthood doing the same things. Since 2003, he has written and illustrated a long list of award-winning picture books, chapter books, and early readers, including the Clueless McGee series; Good News, Bad News; Hush Little Polar Bear; Duck in the Fridge; and Frog and Fly. He has also illustrated many books for other authors, including James Howe’s Bunnicula and Friends series and Eve Bunting’s Hurry! Hurry! At home in Northampton, Massachusetts, he travels both nationally and internationally visiting schools and libraries to talk with kids about creating books.

Jeff Mack spent most of his childhood drawing monsters, making comic books, and building haunted houses in his basement. He has spent most of his adulthood doing the same things. Since 2003, he has written and illustrated a long list of award-winning picture books, chapter books, and early readers, including the Clueless McGee series; Good News, Bad News; Hush Little Polar Bear; Duck in the Fridge; and Frog and Fly. He has also illustrated many books for other authors, including James Howe’s Bunnicula and Friends series and Eve Bunting’s Hurry! Hurry! At home in Northampton, Massachusetts, he travels both nationally and internationally visiting schools and libraries to talk with kids about creating books.

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2015
K-Gr 2—There's a guidance lesson buried somewhere in Mack's second book about a cheerful bear and his malodorous and cranky skunk friend. Who will come to Skunk's surprise party if he doesn't take a bath? Concerned, Bear makes every effort to show Skunk how much FUN a bath can be, turning himself into a clownish victim when he catapults from a tree swing, bounces too high on a trampoline, and races down a water slide, all resulting in wet Bear. "See? This bath is fun!" he repeats after each mishap. But Skunk isn't convinced. "That bath does NOT look like fun." In a sudden outburst Bear reveals his concern…that no one will come to the party if Skunk smells bad. Hearing the word "party," their forest friends assume that a pool party was the plan all along. Even Skunk can't resist a pool party! Mack digitizes his pen and ink on paper illustrations and enhances them in Photoshop, resulting in a vibrant, layered and dynamic finished product. There's a lot of opportunity for predictive and participative reading in this winning title. Match it up with Joe Kulka's Wolf's Coming (Carolrhoda, 2007) for a little "compare and contrast" activity. VERDICT Charming and full of silly action, this book is sure to circulate.—Lisa Lehmuller, East Providence School District, RI

School Library Journal

2015-06-10
Skunk may have gotten a hug…but he's still a stinker. Mack's effusive, hug-loving Bear returns, following his introduction in Who Wants a Hug? (2014). This time he wants to throw wily, standoffish Skunk a surprise birthday party. Skunk smells awful, though; none of the other woodland critters want to attend. Trying to keep the party both afloat and a secret, Bear suggests Skunk take a bath because baths are fun. Skunk will have none of it. Bear adds a slide to the swimming hole to make it look more fun, but Skunk sneakily makes sure it's Bear who gets wet. The additions of a swing and a trampoline don't entice Skunk to bathe, and Bear always ends up soaked and sudsy or worse. In his frustration, Bear lets slip about the party. Since he's in the swimming hole, all the critters think it's a pool party and happily jump in. Just as Skunk protests, a slip on some soap sends him on an awesome Rube Goldberg-esque tour of slide, swing, and trampoline. Skunk's birthday surprise is that Bear was right all along. Mack's bright, Saturday-morning-ready cartoon spots and full bleeds extend the silly story nicely. All (except Skunk) will easily see how much fun a bath can be. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews