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Time for a Bath
It’s time for a bath! Find out which animals soak, lick, bake, or spray their dirt away.
24 pages, Hardcover
First published March 28, 2011
About the author
Steve Jenkins
159 books242 followersSteve was born in 1952 in Hickory, North Carolina. His father, who would become a physics professor and astronomer (and recently his co-author on a book about the Solar System), was in the military and, later, working on science degrees at several different universities. We moved often. Steve lived in North Carolina, Panama, Virginia, Kansas, and Colorado. Wherever he lived, he kept a menagerie of lizards, turtles, spiders, and other animals, collected rocks and fossils, and blew things up in his small chemistry lab.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 21, 2017
I really like Steve Jenkins artwork and the information in the book is great. Kids can really relate to bath time and finding out all the different ways animals get clean was interesting.
October 1, 2018
Steve Jenkins always brings in a winner for me!
July 2, 2019
It's always good for kids to learn about new animals!
February 6, 2022
Surprisingly interesting book about how animals bathe. A great example of an informative book. Nice art and approachable text for young readers.
September 4, 2025
This fun and interesting book is about how different animals, like licking cats and dusty elephants, keep clean. It's a great way for young readers to learn about animal behavior and hygiene, with Steve Jenkins's signature cut-paper pictures and easy, interesting text. Great for kids ages 4 to 8 because it's both educational and fun.
February 13, 2012
Time for a Bath by Steve Jenkins, and Robin Page lets children see and hear how 15 different animals take a bath.
The baths vary from a soak in a lake, wallowing in mud, sun baths, saliva baths, ant baths, soaking in hot springs, dust baths, tongue baths, rain baths, to puddle baths and grooming by a cleaner shrimp.
The text is of varying sizes. Three final pages give more information about each animal.
The illustrations are torn and cut paper collage and portray fifteen different animals: Bengal tiger, Indian rhinocerus, emu, turkey vulture, ants, giant pangolin, Japanese macaques, African elephant, jerboa, jackrabbit, web-footed gecko, rufous hummingbird, roseate spoonbill, tomato grouper, and white tailed deer.
This book has great illustrations and entertaining facts. I would have perferred to have this in a larger format that could be used in storytimes, but with the text length and book size it will be most effective one on one as a read aloud or for readers fascinated with animal habits. Recommended for school and public library collections.
For ages 4 to 6, bath, ecology-environment, animals, nature, science, and fans of Steve Jenkins and Robin Page.
The baths vary from a soak in a lake, wallowing in mud, sun baths, saliva baths, ant baths, soaking in hot springs, dust baths, tongue baths, rain baths, to puddle baths and grooming by a cleaner shrimp.
The text is of varying sizes. Three final pages give more information about each animal.
The illustrations are torn and cut paper collage and portray fifteen different animals: Bengal tiger, Indian rhinocerus, emu, turkey vulture, ants, giant pangolin, Japanese macaques, African elephant, jerboa, jackrabbit, web-footed gecko, rufous hummingbird, roseate spoonbill, tomato grouper, and white tailed deer.
This book has great illustrations and entertaining facts. I would have perferred to have this in a larger format that could be used in storytimes, but with the text length and book size it will be most effective one on one as a read aloud or for readers fascinated with animal habits. Recommended for school and public library collections.
For ages 4 to 6, bath, ecology-environment, animals, nature, science, and fans of Steve Jenkins and Robin Page.
August 8, 2011
The format of this book is pretty tiny, for the illustrator who brought us Actual Sized. I like it, though -- his cut-paper illustrations seem softer somehow. As always, there's an excellent information section at the back of the book. I loved the premise of this book -- lots of surprising information, for me at least. I had no clue a vulture relies on a sunbath to stay clean, and I didn't realize part of the reason a rhinoceros takes a mud bath is so he doesn't get sunburnt!
Also, the jerboa is my new favorite animal.
This would be a good book to introduce students to symbiotic relationships among animals, which are covered in more detail in Page/Jenkins' book "How to Clean a Hippopotamus."
Also, the jerboa is my new favorite animal.
This would be a good book to introduce students to symbiotic relationships among animals, which are covered in more detail in Page/Jenkins' book "How to Clean a Hippopotamus."
December 16, 2011
Baths are one of those easy-peasy things. A tub, some water, and don't forget the soap! However, if you're an animal, your bath may not include water. Time for a Bath explores the bathing habits of 15 different animals.
What I thought: Another winner from Jenkins & Page! The topics of this series (eating, sleeping, and bathing) will delight even the youngest children. The illustrations are great. My favorites are Japanese Macaques, spoonbill, and the deer. I can see myself using this book when I do a bath time story time and sharing facts with my preschool story time kids.
What I thought: Another winner from Jenkins & Page! The topics of this series (eating, sleeping, and bathing) will delight even the youngest children. The illustrations are great. My favorites are Japanese Macaques, spoonbill, and the deer. I can see myself using this book when I do a bath time story time and sharing facts with my preschool story time kids.
Read
June 21, 2012Audience: Kindergarten-3rd grade students, animal lovers, students who enjoy non-fiction, classroom teachers, and librarians
Appeal: This book explores the interesting and relatively unheard of ways animals take baths or keep themselves clean. Students would enjoy reading about the the funny ways animals keep themselves clean. Using fascinating animals and having detailed pictures will peak the interest of students who read this book as well.
Award List: Eureka! Silver Honor Book
Appeal: This book explores the interesting and relatively unheard of ways animals take baths or keep themselves clean. Students would enjoy reading about the the funny ways animals keep themselves clean. Using fascinating animals and having detailed pictures will peak the interest of students who read this book as well.
Award List: Eureka! Silver Honor Book
October 29, 2011
Cataloged as non fiction, and not really a good book for story time because the pages are to small, but a gorgeous book none the less. Small descriptions of how different animals keep themselves clean
It's time for a bath! Find out which animals soak, lick, bake, or spray their dirt away.
It's time for a bath! Find out which animals soak, lick, bake, or spray their dirt away.
December 30, 2011
Like the other books in this series this covers one topic on a variety of animals, this one being about sleep. It's entertaining and informational. I liked it a lot. Great section with extra information at the end.
November 2, 2012
PB 37: This Book helps to show children how animals clean themselves. You could use this to read to them before bedtime. It is a great way to start to get them to take baths by themselves and how to clean themselves.
October 5, 2011
Still love the pics. Honestly the info wasn't quite as interesting to me but then again ... kids like to avoid baths anyway, right?
Read
June 2, 2011Good for both young and older readers. Love this new series.
August 2, 2011
About how different animals bathe.
September 1, 2011
Another Jenkin's success for picture books about animals. Children will enjoy seeing this variety of how other animals bathe.
October 15, 2011
So cute!
January 3, 2012
Love that this book is similar to all the other absolutely wonderful books by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Must buy Bath/Eat/Sleep for the library ASAP.
March 25, 2012
I am looking forward to sharing this book with Kindergarten. Steve Jenkin's artwork is great.
June 8, 2012
This was really cute, informatively, and using different ideas of what a "bath" is. Very educational yet still fun.
December 30, 2012
Steve Jenkins is WONDERFUL!!!! We love his books! This is delightfully educational. A rare find in children's non-fiction.
February 8, 2015
Lots of new thinking about various animals and their bathing habits. Fascinated that someone studied ants for their bathing habit.
August 24, 2014
Interesting way to teach children the different ways animals keep themselves clean.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews