Walrus in the Bathtub by Deborah Underwood - ESSENTIAL

Walrus in the Bathtub by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Matt Hunt. PICTURE BOOK.  Dial Books for Young Readers, 2018. $18. 9780803741010

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

This book is written in a very creative list form.  For example, the first line is, “Best things about our new house: 1. Big yard 2. Cool seagull nest 3. Giant bathtub.” The story is about a family who moves to a new house and finds a walrus in their bathtub. The walrus causes all sorts of trouble and after unsuccessfully trying lots of different ways to get the walrus out of the bathtub, they decide to move again. Before they have a chance to move, the walrus communicates that all the trouble he caused was just his way of trying to make them feel welcome, leading to a truce and ultimately a fun living situation. 

The illustrations in this book are pitch perfect with fun details, bright colors, and lots of energy. I loved the list formate of the book, although I think this lends itself better to kids reading it to themselves rather than being a read aloud book. The book also shows the entire family working together and collaborating through the whole thing, which is fun to see.  

Reviewer: Jen W.