tub-boo-boo [Hardcover]

We've all been there. You're snorkeling around a good bubble bath, trying to wash off a long day's worth of playground dirt. And then "one drippy drop" from the faucet starts to drive you crazy. So what do you do? Why "slow the flow with [your] little big toe," of course. Just like wild-haired little Henry Hathaway did. Only Henry wasn't so lucky; Henry got stuck.

"Oops."
"What oops?" said Mother.
"Big oops," said Henry. "I think I made a boo-boo... a TUB-boo-boo."
"A tub-what-who?"

So Mother climbs in the bath: "She was absolutely sure, positively positive that if she could just wiggle her fingers up into the spigot and wrangle them around Henry's little big toe... why... well... uh...." And before you can say "What the hay?" (that's Dad's line), everyone from the plumber to the policeman tries to help, committing their own tub-boo-boos and getting "stuck smack-dab in the spout."

This silly, cyclical story plays well to the strengths of unapologetic goofball Margie Palatini (Zoom Broom, The Web Files), who's never afraid to get messy with the sort of repetitive wordplay that kids love. But what you'll likely love first and best about Tub-Boo-Boo are the surreal, Stretch Armstrong-style illustrations of Glin Dibley (better known in the teen world as Michael Koelsch, for his Strange Kid Chronicles, Magic cards, and such). With Dibley's unlikely palette--spacey blues and greens and browns accented with arresting orange hair and just-polished red fingernails--and a bubble-headed cast of bathers that always looks just half-inflated, it's hard not to stare. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

A kid plugs a spigot with his toe and starts a bathtub hubbub in this blathery, lathery book. "I just wanted to stop one drippy drop. Slow the flow with my little big toe. And now I'm stuck!" Henry says, wiggling around in a froth of bubbles. His mother tries to help but wedges her fingers in the tap, and his father gets his tie tangled up, too. A policeman and a plumber (with his posterior over-exposed) join the fray and shout the refrain, " `It's a tub-boo-boo!' `A tub-what-who?' `A tub-boo-boo!' " Henry's big sister, who supplies the blustery narration, finally saves the day by applying ice cream to the affected areas: "Shlurp! Out slid Dad's tie. Thwamp! Out came Mother's fingers." Palatini (The Web Files) propels the story to a fever pitch with nonstop wordplay and punchy dialogue. Debut illustrator Dibley, whose acrylics recall somewhat David Shannon's work, overinflates the characters' faces, which bulge like balloons with shiny weak spots. Henry has watery eyes, strange three-fingered hands and a pale, worried face with a bruised green-and-purple cast. The queasy, distorted images lend urgency to this outrageous account of a toe jam. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

K-Gr 2-A plucky young narrator describes what happens when her little brother gets his big toe stuck in the bathtub spout. His mom's finger gets stuck when she tries to get it out, and then Dad has the same dilemma. Luckily, he has his cell phone, and a plumber is called, but it's Lucy who applies her smarts and resolves the situation with a surprisingly simple solution. She tells the tale in rhythmic language punctuated by sounds that enhance the action. This story not only makes for an excellent read-aloud, but is a fine choice for telling, too. The exuberant artwork is purposely garish and always lively, enhancing the absurdity of the plot. Perspective changes not only from page to page but within the same picture. Mouths and eyes become enormous while shoulders and limbs become pencil thin. The text stands alone on white backgrounds, and the large-scale illustrations occupy the entire opposite page with occasional oozing over to the text page. This is a very funny book to share with children.

Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4-6. Know-it-all Lucy Hathaway narrates the story of how her younger brother Henry got his "little big toe" stuck in the spigot while taking a bubble bath. In cumulative fashion, Mother tries to save Henry and gets her fingers stuck as well. Then Dad gets his tie stuck, and Officer Ottley gets his fingers stuck. The plumber helps, but it's Lucy who who uses her brain and her "double-dip Chocolate Chunky Chip sugar cone" to solve the problem. Dibley's spindly, crazily exaggerated characters blend well with the weirder aspects of this story, which includes some heavy-handed criticism of the media. Kathy Broderick
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

"Oops."

"What oops?" said Mother.

"Big oops," said Henry. "I think I made a boo-boo...a TUB-boo-boo."

"A tub-what-who?"

"A tub-boo-boo. I just wanted to stop one drippy drop. Slow the flow with my little big toe. And now -- I'm stuck! I'm stuck in the tub and can't get out."

Big Ooops!
While taking a bath, Henry tries to stop a drip of a drop with his little big toe. Now he's stuck in the tub and can't get out. And everyone who comes to help him makes a tub-boo-boo, too.

Can they be rescued before they turn all pruney -- and make the Evening News?

Margie Palatini's hilarious text and Glin Dibley's giddy art create a zany, zesty bathtime romp.