Walrus in the Bathtub

May 21, 2018
When a family moves into a new house and finds that a walrus has full ownership of the bathtub, there’s only one thing to do: make a pros and cons list. “Bad things about having a walrus in the bathtub: 1. Clam shells / 2. Screechy seagulls / 3. Bathtub tidal waves.” As the son in the family generates successive lists (“More bad things... People who will not help you get a walrus out of a bathtub”), the soaked occupants seem to have no choice but to abandon ship. But when the walrus counters with a list of his own (“How to make your new family feel welcome”), a brighter side becomes apparent (“3. Indoor puddle jumping!”), and everyone lives happily—albeit damply —ever after. Underwood’s list-focused text is a fast, fun read and could inspire imaginative classroom projects around improbable list-making. Hunt’s big, boisterous cartooning makes the most of this variation on The Man Who Came to Dinner: the family tries to stay calm and roll with the punches while the extra-large, genially oblivious center of attention—who strikes poses worthy of Rubens and wears a polka-dotted shower cap—keeps pouring on the annoyances. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Bright Agency.

June 1, 2018
A family of four's new house is perfect save for one feature.It has everything they need: a big yard, a tree with a sea gulls' nest in it, and an enormous bathtub. But there's one problem: In that huge bathtub, there's a walrus. And he doesn't want to leave. He makes bathtub tidal waves, he floods the house, and he uses all the toothpaste. The family members do their best to convince the walrus to leave, and little readers will get a few good chuckles out of the increasingly absurd tactics. The text is conveyed almost entirely in list form, with occasional snippets of dialogue and arrows pointing to various pictorial elements when necessary. The "WORST things about having a walrus in the bathtub: 1) Dial-a-Clam deliveries 2) Pool parties 3) Walrus songs" leads naturally to "Things that are louder than walrus songs: 1) Nothing"; underscoring this is the walrus's not-so-tuneful "AAAAHHHROOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!" The illustrations are suitably kinetic, milking the absurdity of a walrus in a bathtub for all it's worth, and they add a narrative subtext, depicting one child's evident delight in the presence of the family's unintended roommate. Unfortunately, compositions are so busy, chock-full of silliness plus additional characters such as the family's dog and the walrus's visiting friends, that it may be hard for little readers to focus on that relationship. The family members all have light skin and straight hair that's either black or brown.Overdone, even for a tall tale. (Picture book. 3-4)

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