About This Book
Reach for this book when you are facing the dreaded nightly bath time battle or when your child starts questioning why humans have to stay clean. It serves as a gentle, humorous bridge between a child's natural resistance to hygiene and the fascinating realities of the natural world. By showing that even the wildest animals have a routine for getting tidy, it reframes a mundane chore as a universal biological necessity. Through Steve Jenkins' signature paper-collage illustrations, children learn about animals that wash with dust, mud, or even their own spit. It is perfectly pitched for preschoolers and early elementary students, blending scientific curiosity with a lighthearted tone. Parents will appreciate how it validates a child's messiness while subtly encouraging the importance of self-care through the lens of animal behavior.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
None. The book is entirely secular and focuses on biological behaviors in a factual, lighthearted manner.
Ideal Reader
A 4-year-old who loves being outside and getting dirty but cries at the sight of a soap bar. It is also perfect for the 'fact-hound' child who prefers non-fiction to bedtime stories.
Parent Prep
The book can be read cold. It is very straightforward. Parents might want to prepare for questions about why humans can't use mud or dust like the animals do. A child refusing to get into the tub or complaining that 'animals don't have to take baths.'
