Bathtime for Biscuit

October 1, 1998
PreS-Gr 1-Another successful easy reader from the creators of Biscuit (1996) and Biscuit Finds a Friend (1997, both HarperCollins). This time, the appealing tan puppy finds lots of fun things to do instead of having a bath. When Biscuit sees another puppy, they have twice the fun, and get twice as dirty. Finally Biscuit's owner insists on a bath for everyone, and ends up taking one herself. Full-color drawings reinforce the simple text. A familiar theme with plenty of repetition, large print, and just a few short sentences per page make this a good choice for the youngest readers and listeners alike.-Sharon R. Pearce, formerly at San Antonio Public Library, TX

November 1, 1998
Gr.1. The text is brief, and the illustrations have an old-fashioned kind of sweetness in this simple tale depicting the hassles involved in getting a mischievous little dog, Biscuit, into a bath. Biscuit's owner eventually manages the job, but not without Biscuit exacting a predictably comical revenge. The vocabulary is quite basic--"see," "bath," "roll," etc.--and there's plenty of repetition in the text to allow for reading practice. Even if there isn't much that's memorable about the story, new readers will still come away feeling they've had a successful reading experience. ((Reviewed November 1, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)

January 1, 1999
Biscuit the puppy is adorable, cuddly, and mischievous. When he escapes from his bath, his young owner ends up in the bath instead. The format and simple text make this accessible for beginning readers, but the story is better suited to preschoolers, for whom the final "splash" will be a delightful surprise. The lively illustrations give Biscuit plenty of character.

(Copyright 1999 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)