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Alice B. McGinty
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Bathe the Cat Hardcover – Picture Book, February 8, 2022

by Alice B. McGinty (Author), David Roberts (Illustrator)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 180 ratings
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Cats + water: What could go wrong? This riotous romp of a picture book follows a frantic family as they try to get some chores done—with no help from the family cat, who keeps scrambling the list of chores to hilarious effect. Get ready for a rollicking read-aloud with a truly purrfect ending.

It's cleaning day, but the family cat will do anything to avoid getting a bath. So instead of mopping the floor or feeding the fish, the family is soon busy rocking the rug, vacuuming the lawn, and sweeping the dishes. Bouncy rhyme carries the story headlong into the growing hilarity, until finally Dad restores some kind of order—but will the cat avoid getting his whiskers wet?

HILARIOUS READ-ALOUD: Word scrambles are a delight in this silly rhyming picture book! Kids will love the accessible rhyming text, and emerging readers will be able to anticipate words after repeated reads, making for an engaging and interactive read-aloud experience.

CATNIP FOR CAT LOVERS: This sweet and sneaky feline will do anything to get out of having a bath! Ample cat antics and scenes of increasing mischief (and increasing chaos!) around the house will tickle young readers and entice parents—particularly those with a furry feline of their own in the house.

TWO DADS LEAD THE WAY: Dad and Papa are the heads of this large and loving biracial family, mirroring illustrator David Roberts' own orientation and providing picture book readers with a positive depiction of LGBTQ+ characters in a fun and funny family story.

WINNING AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR TEAM: Alice McGinty is a prolific author of books for children, and David Roberts is well-known for his work on the New York Times bestselling Questioneers series. Together, their upbeat text and energetic art with pops of neon color make for a standout picture book, just right for gifting and enjoying together at storytime.

Perfect for:
  • Parents looking for fun stories with cats and good books about diverse families to share with their kids
  • Gifting for children's birthdays, Father's Day for cat dads, or pet adoption congratulations
  • Cat lovers who celebrate the bad and the good of daily life with their feline overlords
  • Readers who love the poetry and playfulness of Sandra Boynton, Emily Winfield Martin, and Shel Silverstein
  • Adding to the family bookshelf alongside funny bath books and cat books like The Cat in the Hat, Bad Kitty Gets a Bath, and The Pigeon Needs a Bath!
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    3 - 6 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    48 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - Kindergarten
  5. Lexile measure
    AD340L
  6. Dimensions
    9.4 x 0.5 x 11.3 inches
  7. Publisher
    Chronicle Books
  8. Publication date
    February 8, 2022
  9. ISBN-10
    145214270X
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1452142708
  11. See all details
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From the Publisher

kids book illustration

Bathe the floor? Sweep the dishes? This riotous romp of a picture book follows a frantic family as they try to get some chores done—with no help from the family cat, who keeps scrambling the list of chores with hilarious effects. Get ready for a rollicking read-aloud with a truly purrfect ending.

"[Bathe the Cat] will be an absolute hoot at storytime with the rhythmic text lending bounce and energy, and the wacky word play guaranteeing giggles." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Cover

Interior 1

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-K-A sly cat helms this comedy of errors featuring a diverse family with two fathers who both have brown skin and black hair. Expecting Grandma Marge at two o'clock, the parents and their kids follow a list of chores that must be done in order to get the house in top form. One father outlines the chore list with alphabetic refrigerator magnets. When the family cat catches wind that his bath is on the list, he rearranges the chores to read, "feed the floor ... sweep the dishes." Tomfoolery ensues as the family sets out on their jumbled tasks, and the cat-unable to read the words he is rearranging-finds this mix-up did not work out in his favor, as he hears the final task of "mow the cat." The cat moves the letters yet again and the chores get ever sillier, ending with-much to the feline's dismay-"vacuum the cat." The family has almost run out of time to clean before Grandma Marge's arrival, so one father takes charge, ending the list with a much more kitty-friendly "rock the cat." Told in rhyming verse, McGinty's silly yarn has charm to spare. Young readers will be tickled by the cat's mischievous misdirects and the resulting pandemonium. Roberts's pen and watercolor illustrations carry on the aesthetic tradition of Pat Hutchins and Judi Barrett, paying homage to the colors and fashions of the 70s. Each page is filled with well-conceived details that deserve close inspection.VERDICT Preschoolers will be in stitches reading this modern revelry told through a vintage lens. A recommended purchase for most collections.-Sarah Simpson, Westerville P.L., OHα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“[Bathe the Cat] will be an absolute hoot at storytime with the rhythmic text lending bounce and energy, and the wacky word play guaranteeing giggles. The father’s increasingly frantic desperation is ripe for dramatic interpretation . . . The watercolor and pencil art has a retro feel, both in bold palette and stylized figures, but the family makes for a fully diverse representation of modernity, with the two Black dads wrangling their family into tidiness.” ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books



“Clean-up time turns topsy-turvy when an interracial family’s mischievous cat jumbles up their to-do list in this sure-footed picture book. . . . Pencil and watercolor scenes by Roberts (The Cook and the King) emphasize the increasing goofiness of the family’s repeated efforts to get their mess under control, and light rhymes by McGinty (A Story for Small Bear) pair smartly with the amusing concept.”―Publishers Weekly



“Lively, expressive watercolor-and-pencil illustrations of the multiracial family and animated scenarios are the perfect accompaniment for the peppy rhyming text, humorously depicting the household-chores chaos (and kitty’s contributions) in this inviting, quite entertaining read-aloud friendly title.”―Booklist



“Told in rhyming verse, McGinty’s silly yarn has charm to spare. Young readers will be tickled by the cat’s mischievous misdirects and the resulting pandemonium. Roberts’s pen and watercolor illustrations carry on the aesthetic tradition of Pat Hutchins and Judi Barrett, paying homage to the colors and fashions of the 70s. Each page is filled with well-conceived details that deserve close inspection. Preschoolers will be in stitches reading this modern revelry told through a vintage lens.”―School Library Journal



“McGinty’s energetically rhyming story is good at delegating . . . Cleanly rendered illustrations show the family dutifully following orders while things go hilariously wrong. Roberts’s (Ada Twist, Scientist) precise pencil and watercolor illustrations go beyond the entertaining premise to matter-of-factly portray a family at the intersection of a number of identities.”―The Horn Book Magazine, starred review

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chronicle Books (February 8, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 145214270X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1452142708
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 6 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD340L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - Kindergarten
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.02 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.4 x 0.5 x 11.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 180 ratings

About the author

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Alice B. McGinty

Alice B. McGinty

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Alice B. McGinty is the award-winning author of 50 fiction and nonfiction books for children. She loves to write! Here are her most recent books: 2020 Jr. Library Guild Selection, The Water Lady (Schwartz and Wade Books, illustrated by Shonto Begay), Kirkus Best Book of 2020 A Story for Small Bear (Schwartz and Wade Books, illustrated by Richard Jones), The Sea Knows (2020, Simon and Schuster, with co-author Alan Havis, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis), 2019 Jr. Library Guild Selection, The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney (Schwartz and Wade, illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle), 2019 Northern Lights Book Award Winner (food category) Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World (Little Bee, illustrated by Tomoko Suzuki), 2015 Sydney Taylor Notable book, Rabbi Benjamin’s Buttons (Charlesbridge, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt) and the picture book biography, Gandhi: A March To the Sea (Amazon Children’s Publishing, illustrated by Thomas Gonzales), which was awarded as an honor book for the 2014 South Asia Book Award for Children’s And Young Adult Literature. Her picture book biography, Darwin (2009, Houghton Mifflin, illustrated by Mary Azarian) received a 2010 Orbis Pictus Honor, and was listed on Booklist's 2009 Top Ten Biographies for Youth. Other publications include Eliza’s Kindergarten Pet (2010, Two Lions Press, illustrated by Nancy Speir), Thank You, World (2007, Dial Books, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin), and nonfiction books on subjects ranging from nutrition to tarantulas.

Alice looks forward to the upcoming release of these books: Step by Step (August, 2021, Simon and Schuster, illustrated by Diane Goode), Bathe the Cat (Fall, 2021, Chronicle Books, illustrated by David Roberts), My Israel and Me (Fall 2021, Kalaniot Books, illustrated by Rotem Terplow), A Synagogue Just Like Home (Spring, 2022, Candlewick Press, illustrated by Laurel Molk) and Truck Says Moo (Chronicle Books, illustrated by Camille Garoche).

Alice was born in Minneapolis Minnesota and has lived in New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Maryland, Georgia, Indiana, and Illinois. She’s been in Illinois for over 25 years now!

A frequent presenter at schools and conferences, Alice was awarded the 2017 Prairie State Award for excellence in writing for children.

Alice loves to hike, play the guitar, dance, and read. She’s also a writing teacher and coach, runs a writing camp for teens, is a children's book reviewer for the Champaign-Urbana News Gazette, and is a Regional Adviser Emerita for the Illinois Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
180 global ratings
Humorous book about a family and language
5 Stars
Humorous book about a family and language
A fun, rhyming book that will have children and adults laughing. Rock the dishes? Scrub the lawn? Vacuum the cat? What has gotten this family all riled up? Grandma is coming!This is a cute story about a family of 5 who have to quit playing and clean up before grandma arrives. When one of the fathers announces that it's time to clean up, he assigns everyone in the family a couple jobs to complete and that's when the fun begins. Bobby, Sarah and the other father each listen as he reads off the assignment chart he created. It sounds like a great plan until he assigns himself the job of, "bathe the cat." Just looking at the cat on that page, tells me that this is not a good idea.Everyone goes back to playing, including the cat but the clock is ticking away, and grandma is on her way. Father walks into the room they're all playing in. Father gets angry as no one is cleaning and he starts to remind them of their assigned jobs again, only this time he changes them up and they're even more confusing. Feed the floor? Scrub the fishes? The illustrations are funny and large as the characters follow the father's directions.Father again tries to correct his assignments but again he fails and there's more hilarious chaos. How will this house ever get clean? Just looking at the illustrations and seeing this family try to complete their job is more than half the fun, in this book. This book will definitely put a smile on your face as you watch them try to follow what the father has to say. 4.5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

Vmp
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, hilarious book!
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
I teach kindergarten and a mom to 2 young children. This book has instantly become a favorite. I want to read books with representation... mixed race families, single parent families, same sex parent families.... anything to be able to show my children a window to other families. Sometimes that representation is at the forefront of a story (2 uncles getting married, parents getting divorced, etc). But this book is different. In this book, the story has absolutely nothing to do with the family structure. The family is just existing in this fun, silly rhyming story. If you aren't paying attention, the mixed race children and 2 dads blend into the background of this hilarious story. The details in the illustrations are amazing. When I read it with my students it takes till the second or third read till they realize there are 2 dads and at that point they are just looking at a fun family. Children can see how this family is just like any other family engaged in silliness and I LOVE IT!!!! Add it to your child's library today!
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Organic Vegan
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, diverse, beautiful art: a great way to get an early reader to giggle
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2023
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This book is one of my absolute favorites ever. We got it for one of our kids but I honestly want a copy for myself. The art, which will be familiar if you know of Ada Twist and her buddies, is delightfully bright and detailed, with a diverse and adorable family getting increasingly silly as their cat messes with their refrigerator alphabet to-do list. Our youngest is learning to read and this book really helped on that front, but it made all of us laugh and can be read over and over. Also, our family is full of LGBTness; we're white but have friends of color and strive to be anti-racist. So we all found the representation in here super fun and affirming. Something particularly cool about it is that it's left up to the reader to decide who in the family might be trans, how this gay masc couple has kids (adoption? a trans dad? a combination?), and so on. Love love love this book!
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valeria
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it! Super fun!
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
Bought this book as a gift for my 5yo kid and they absolutely adored it! Since they got it, we have read it every single night before bedtime and they laugh the same every single time! We love the silly storyline, the illustrations, and the diversity. Simple beautiful!
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E. Marsalic
5.0 out of 5 stars A family favorite!
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2023
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This is a really fun book for kids in the 3 - 4 year old range because you can talk about what is happening and what the letters communicate. Plus, it's so silly! My kids love it.
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Nenni
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun book for ages 3-6
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
On the recommendation of my local children's librarian friends, I sent this book to some young relatives as a gift. They love it! They've demanded to read it over and over, they made a video for me where they showed me all the funny parts to the story. The family depicted in the story is diverse with a couple different ethnicities and two dads. That doesn't reflect our family, but it's a good conversation starter as well. To the kids though, that's not important. What's important is "mopping the cat" and "sweeping the baby," and laughing the whole way through!
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Kathryn S
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2023
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A fun, silly, sweet book that my toddler is obsessed with
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Marjorie P. Houlihan
5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter suggested this one.
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024
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My daughter works in the school lunch department and heard a teacher reading this book to the children in a classroom, and she thought that her triplet grandchildren, my great grands, would enjoy reading it, so I bought it for them.
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Holly
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 year old laughed hysterically
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2023
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As an early childhood educator, I’m always looking for the latest and greatest books to read with my child - this is such a funny book, and my 5 year old absolutely loves it, as the absurdity increases with each round of “chores.” Would wholeheartedly recommend if you want lots of laughs with your little one!
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Top reviews from other countries

Anna Zschokke
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book
Reviewed in Germany on December 12, 2022
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Rhyming books can be hit or miss - this is definitely a hit! It's fun, imaginative and so gentle. I love the family preparing for grandma's arrival and especially the cat's reactions to all the various things performed upon it. Get it for all the kids in your life!
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Meg
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny my toddler loves it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2022
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This book is really funny and cute my toddler loves it.
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