Children’s Bookshelf

NO BATHS FOR TABITHA by Sharon K. Thomas and Marjorie Siegal, illustrated by Don Robison (Willowisp: $1.50; 24 pp., ages 5-7). Kids love to hear about other kids being naughty, so they’ll probably be drawn to saucy Tabitha who refuses to take a bath.

Her mother tries toys, bubbles and presents to entice her daughter into the tub but Tabitha would rather roller skate outside. Weeks go by and even though green stuff starts sprouting all over her, she still refuses to bathe. A clever ending shows readers there are consequences for actions and that self-motivation is one of the best ways to do things.

Youngsters will love the repetitive phrases in this one-in a-series of Predictable Reading Books based on principles of natural language development. Unfortunately the illustrations, which are bright and bouncy in a cartoon way, are much too busy, particularly for teachers trying to show the pictures to kindergartners from the front of a classroom.