Young children who enjoy fairy tales like Cinderella and Rumplestiltskin may like King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub, a 1985 Caldecott Honor Book written by Audrey Wood and illustrated by her husband, Don Wood.
The plot revolves around a simple problem: King Bidgood’s in the bathtub and he refuses to get out. Throughout the day, an exasperated page comes out of the bath and asks, “King Bidgood’s in the bathtub, and he won’t get out! Oh, who knows what to do?” Each time, a volunteer steps forward offering to lure the king out of the bathtub. Each person meets with defeat. The king’s antics leave his court in chaos until a clever page figures out how to get the king to leave his bathtub.
There’s a minimal amount of text in King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub and most of it involves the rhythmic repetition of the page’s pleas and the king’s responses to the members of his court. The text is complemented by Don Wood’s detailed, full color illustrations that use changes in light and shadow to show the progression from day to night in the story.
King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub is a charming and whimsical book that would be a good choice for story time or bedtime reading.
Check the WRL catalog for King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub.
