No Bath Tonight

by Jane Yolen, Nancy Winslow Parker

Jeremy manages to avoid taking a bath for several days but, when his grandmother comes to visit, she makes it her goal to get the dirty boy into the tub

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Almira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story -our young man does not want to take a bath, each night he uses another excuse to proclaim "No Bath Tonight", until his grandmother comes to visit and gets him to help her make "kid tea".....
Our library system's copy went away many years ago, but I still love this book.
Great illustrations on every page.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd forgotten how old Jane Yolen is. This book's story originally appeared in Cricket, a magazine those of us of a certain age remember well from our dentist's and pediatrician's offices.

EDIT: Oh my God -- the mag is still around! You could've knocked me over with a feather when I found out.

ANYWAY, Yolen's text really isn't that good, compared to Nancy Winslow Parker's illustrations. She adds a lot to the very brief text. The expressions of the long-suffering mother. The tea leaf dots in the grandmother's cup. And, most importantly, the dog.

Ah, the unnamed and completely brilliant yellow Lab type who features in almost every panel. It's the dog on the cover, adorably looking out of the frame at the reader, that made me want to read this book. Screw the accident prone kid who loathed baths (and yet has no idea what a shower is). I wanted to know more about the dog.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geared towards a younger audience, this book is beneficial when teaching students the importance of clean hygiene. Students that are in a life skills setting could benefit from this read aloud because they are learning everyday hygiene by listening to a story about it instead of resisting it. In response to this reading, students can look at a chart and put in order the steps to how they are to take a bath. This story also allows for imagination as the grandma in the story had to come up with creative way to get her grandchild to take a bath

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful story had my daughter and I giggling throughout. We both related to the accident-prone MC.

[Angel Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: A small boy refuses to take a shower. One night grandma comes over and tells his a clever story to initiate him to take a bath.
The clever story uses realistic elements to send the message to the readers.
Literature Terms: Theme
The story can be used with children that do not like to take baths. It can also be used to teach healthy lifestyles.
Response: I liked the book. It reminded me of my own family members that do not like to take baths.
Activity: I could have students create their own story of why it is important to take baths.