Off to See the Sea

October 15, 2020
The family from Bedtime for Sweet Creatures (2020) is back for bathtime. The previous book's precocious toddler laughingly hides from Mom (Dad's reading in the living room) when it's clear bathtime looms. The child is persuaded to the tub with the promise that "Bath time is full of magic!" Changes in the color and capitalization of the type emphasize certain elements of the story (without any clear pattern) as Mom, who narrates, uses the power of imagination to make bathtime an adventure. The water coming out of the faucet is a "WATERFALL"; "MONSTERS" (in yellow) appear on the high seas in the form of a single rubber ducky, which elicits a "squeal" (also in yellow) from the child; mother and child "CRASH [in red] against the waves" aboard a pair of toy tugboats. Zunon's art is lovely as ever, and her use of colors heightens engagement. It's unfortunate that, as in the prior book, readers see the mother as the more active parent. If this family returns for a third outing, here's hoping for more balanced parental responsibilities. Regardless of this gender-normative misstep, this companion to Bedtime for Sweet Creatures is adorable. All characters are Black. A joyous chronicle of the delight that a bath can bring--imaginative and charming. (Picture book. 2-5)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 9, 2020
Bath time becomes an opportunity for adventure and make-believe in this book by collaborators Grimes and Zunon (Bedtime for Sweet Creatures). In imagery-rich free verse by Grimes, a mother addresses her child: “Up and up I lift you/ till your toes leave the tile.../ slip-sliding into a soft-scented sea.” Zunon renders the family of color naturalistically, with faces and bodies that appear three-dimensional. The figures move among cut-out forms of patterned paper that constitute the story’s make-believe elements—a waterfall (the faucet’s flow), crashing waves (which the child splashes up), undersea treasure (the tub plug), and more. A yellow rubber duck grows life-size: “Monsters straight ahead!” but there’s time for observing, too—the shining bath bubbles carry “copies of your smile.” The mother doesn’t fuss about the waves her child makes; instead, she grabs the opportunity to shampoo “silky,/ wet curls.” As the ocean adventure ends (“I sink my arm into the cooling waters of the raging sea”), the relationship between parent and child deepens through the imaginative possibilities offered by their everyday ritual. Ages 4–8.

February 1, 2021

PreS-Gr 2-Grimes and Zunon (Bedtime for Sweet Creatures) team up again, this time for a bathing adventure that fans will surely enjoy. Getting this particular child into the bathtub takes persuasion, imagination, and pretend, as Black parents coordinate efforts to get their reluctant child into the tub. What follows is a deep sea dive to depths unknown, some sneaky shampooing, and before anyone can realize it, the clean child ready for bed, tired after such a harrowing journey. Grimes keeps the overall story simple, using the senses and action to build each scene to realistically tell a story while also describing an imaginative world to entice any bather. Zunon saturates each page with colorful mixed media, that includes collage, acrylic paint, and gel pen. VERDICT The illustrations along with the swirl of words on each page add to the story's vibrancy and texture; there's always room in the collection for this kind of collaboration.-Hilary Tufo, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., Reynoldsburg, OH

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
It's bath time for the child we first met in Bedtime for Sweet Creatures (rev. 1/20), and once again the youngster's mother is the narrator. As in many households, here bath time is an occasion for imaginative play. Together mother and child pretend that the tub is a "soft-scented sea" through which the child swims, evading "monsters" (the child's rubber ducky), diving beneath the waves for treasure, piloting tugboats through crashing waves. (Meanwhile, the mother notes, "I sneak shampoo into your silky, wet curls" -- it's not all fun and games.) When bath time is over, the mother lets the water out of the tub, and "together we watch the ocean swirl away." Bold, lush illustrations contrast the cool blues and greens of the imaginative sea scenes with the glowing brown skin of the protagonists. When at last Dad arrives to carry the towel-wrapped child off to bed, the illustration depicts the mundane post-bath bathroom, with a puddle of water and bath toys on the floor, bringing the book's listeners back to reality and providing a transition to, perhaps, their own bedtimes. Another joyful depiction of family life from this successful author-artist team.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2021
It's bath time for the child we first met in Bedtime for Sweet Creatures (rev. 1/20), and once again the youngster's mother is the narrator. As in many households, here bath time is an occasion for imaginative play. Together mother and child pretend that the tub is a "soft-scented sea" through which the child swims, evading "monsters" (the child's rubber ducky), diving beneath the waves for treasure, piloting tugboats through crashing waves. (Meanwhile, the mother notes, "I sneak shampoo into your silky, wet curls" -- it's not all fun and games.) When bath time is over, the mother lets the water out of the tub, and "together we watch the ocean swirl away." Bold, lush illustrations contrast the cool blues and greens of the imaginative sea scenes with the glowing brown skin of the protagonists. When at last Dad arrives to carry the towel-wrapped child off to bed, the illustration depicts the mundane post-bath bathroom, with a puddle of water and bath toys on the floor, bringing the book's listeners back to reality and providing a transition to, perhaps, their own bedtimes. Another joyful depiction of family life from this successful author-artist team. Martha V. Parravano

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from November 1, 2020
Preschool-Kindergarten *Starred Review* The loving African American family from Grimes and Zunon's Bedtime for Sweet Creatures (2020) returns for another nighttime routine transformed through play and imagination. When the mother announces it's bath time, her young child runs and hides, only to be lured to the tub by the promise of bath-time magic. And just like that, the water pouring from the faucet becomes a waterfall and the child a swimmer in a "soft-scented sea." Children will delight as the young protagonist imagines all kinds of adventures during the bubble bath, from escaping monsters (a yellow rubber duckie) and diving deep beneath the sea to crashing through rough water in a tugboat (a toy from Daddy) and splashing against the waves created by busily kicking legs. Using several mediums--oil and acrylic paint, cut-paper collage, gel pen, and marker--Zunon employs a layered approach to create vibrant illustrations that wonderfully blend realistic elements with those of the unfolding fantasy. The use of detail, from the softly drawn towel to the rainbow-slicked reflections of the main character in soap bubbles, creates evocative scenes that ping the senses. Grimes' language also contributes to the book's sensory effect, as words like slip-sliding, giggling, crash, and splash add to the story's joy and drama. This ebullient account of a common childhood experience bursts with love and universal appeal.

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