La banera

 La banera (The Bath)

This picture book tells the story of a little boy (probably aged 3 or 4) who has a bath together with his mother. He and his mother play imaginative child-led games, so that the bath becomes a moment for creative play, as well as spending precious time together. First he plays at being an alien, then he pretends he’s a firefighter, then at a car wash, in a submarine, in a rockpool full of crabs and deep sea diving. Finally he imagines that his mother’s legs are an island where pirates have buried treasure. All the way through, his mother plays along with him and joins him in his imaginative adventures. At the end of the story the boy tells his mother that he likes having baths with her and they agree to do it again another time.

This story offers a glimpse into a warm, innocent moment between the little boy and his mother, where they use their imaginations to connect with each other and turn a daily chore into a fun bonding experience. While there are lots of picture books about having baths, it is less common to see one where the parent and child bathe together. It’s likely that many families do this so it may be helpful for those children to have a story that captures this experience. 

The illustrations are striking and artistic, using a colour palette mostly consisting of blues and greens, creating a warm sea-like world. They cleverly differentiate between “real life” and the moments where the mother and son are caught up in their imaginative games.

Suitable for children aged around 3-6 years, The Bath is a beautifully illustrated, tender story about how the imagination can turn everyday tasks into fun and magical bonding experiences. The book is likely to appeal to children – and perhaps especially to parents – as it presents a common theme (bath time) in a different way, as well as depicting a positive, creative relationship between a son and his mother. The illustrations are also beautiful to look at and have enough detail to be fun to talk about when reading the book to a child.

From the reader´s report by Catherine Mansfield