Today is International Bath Day! Yep, there really is a holiday for just about everything, so you shouldn't be surprised at all. But do you know what IS surprising? The fact that there are not one, but TWO perfect picture books to read in celebration!
The Big Bath House by Kyo Maclear (11/16/21)
In this celebration of Japanese culture and family and naked bodies of all shapes and sizes, join a little girl–along with her aunties and grandmother–at a traditional bath house. Once there, the rituals leading up to the baths begin: hair washing, back scrubbing, and, finally, the wood barrel drumroll. Until, at last, it’s time, and they ease their bodies–their creased bodies, newly sprouting bodies, saggy, jiggly bodies–into the bath. Ahhhhhh!
The Monster in the Bathhouse by Sina Merabian (02/22/22)
How to Catch a Monster meets Persian myth in this story set in a lively Iranian bathhouse the day before the Persian New Year as three boys encounter something unexpected. The bathhouse is always busy the day before Nowruz. Everyone wants to be clean for the new year! As three boys enjoy their day at the bathhouse with their fathers, they hear a strange sound and decide to investigate. There’s a big mess, and they hear the sound of someone—or something—large splashing in the baths. What could it be? An unruly guest? A four-legged intruder? Or perhaps…a monster?
