Elliot's Bath

My 2 year old son loves all the Elliot Moose and friend's stories (since we started reading them to him when he was a few months old). He loves to have us read them to him over and over. Recently, he started "reading" them to us! Elliot is such a loving character, that has fun adventures with his friends. These books also have wonderful illustrations we use to teach our son, and have him point out things he knows and learn new words.

"Elliot's Bath" is an Elliot Moose story in which the little moose takes a bath for the very first time. It all happens when Elliot and his friend Socks are preparing for a talent show. They end up spilling paint on themselves and don't know what to do about it. But their friend Paisley does --- it's time for their first-ever bath! Elliot and Socks have a lot of fun in their bath, but then find themselves in a troublesome situation. Being the furry, fuzzy creatures that they are, they've become completely waterlogged! How will they get out of this? The illustrations are war and cute and full-page on every other page. The characters look rather like stuffed animals. This is a great story for before bathtime, or for Elliot Moose fans. The only possible danger I can think of is that it might cause kids to get scared to go in the bath. But I also think it teaches that with the help of someone else, there's nothing ever to worry about when it comes to a bath.

This is one of those sweet, simple stories that infants and toddlers will enjoy. It's populated by a friendly ensemble incuding the titular Elliot, his sock monkey pal, "Socks," and minor characters "Paisley" the cat, and "Beaverton," a resourceful beaver. The adventure begins as the four stuffed animals get the stage ready for a big alent show that night. Socks accidently spills some blue paint on Elliot and herself. "'What are we going to do?' cried Socks. 'You need a bath!' said Paisley. A bath? Elliot had been damp before. He'd even had his paws in the pond. But he'd never had a bath. 'That sounds like fun!' he said with a grin." With everyone lending a paw, the bath goes very well. The animals constantly smile, the water is just right, and there's no fear of going out the drain. The problem is almost the opposite: The water-saturated animals aren't able to exit the bathtub until Beaverton fishes out the stuck plug. One more dilemma await Elliot and Socks in this gentle drama--how to dry two thoroughly soaked stuffed animals. Your little one might enjoy talking this one out loud with your audience, and seeing the various solutions proposed by the four furry friends. Although the closing is a little weak (Elliot and Socks--now colored purple from the paint, although he rather likes his new color draw applause at the talent show), young kids will enjoy the comaraderie, Elliot's discovery that he has fun in the sink bath, and the creative problem-solving. This positive approach may help wee ones overcome any fears about bathing. However, I wonder if showing just a little more hesitation and anxiety from Elliot might have created a more realistic, and therefore more identifiable situation. If a first bath doesn't go as well for your little one as it did for the moose and the monkey, will he or she reject the book's promise of splashy fun? Still, the problems faced and surmounted by the stuffed animals model a confidence and "can-do" approach that can apply to bathing and other new activities. Moreover, there is enough characterization and suspence that the book stands on its own, whether or not you have a bathtime problem. That quality makes "Elliot's Bath" stand out from other "issue-oriented" books centered around some developmental challenge. Andrea Beck's bright, varied colors, and her richly textured animal portraits provide an exciting, yet very safe and cuddly setting. Her appealing animals hint at her background; she studied at the Ontario College of Art, and founded a plush toy company! This is Beck's fourth "Elliot" picture book.

I tell stories at the local library and I am in training for being a preschool teacher. This book is a great story about bathtime for stuffed creatures and their special concerns. It is quite imaginative. The illustrations are very colorful and the characters will warm the hearts of reader of all ages. The characters all work together to solve a problem. It shows good thinking and reasoning skills that young children can see themselves doing as well. It was a joy to read.