krissingene's Full Review: Tony Ross - Wash Your Hands!
This review includes major plot details.
After you use the bathroom, you wash your hands. This was the message I had drilled into my head from the time I was tall enough to reach the sink - and now that I have a child of my own on the brink of potty training, it's my turn to impress the importance of hand washing upon her. Since she loves books so much, I thought a fun book on the topic just might do the trick - and now I wonder if I might be flinging her headlong into a hand washing obsession/compulsion.
~* The Little Princess *~ Wash Your Hands is part of the Little Princess series of books by Tony Ross, and was originally published in Great Britain in 1998. Our paperback copy has 24 full-color pages, although the title is also available in hardcover format.
The little princess, despite being English royalty, is essentially every toddler - running the gamut of emotions from happy to sad, angry to embarrassed, her feelings always written all over her face. Older toddlers (especially girls) will be able to relate to her trials, while even younger toddlers and babies will appreciate the short and silly stories in this series.
~* Germs & Nasties *~
The little princess, being a typical child, likes to get dirty. She plays in the dirt and plays with her pets, and doesn't think twice about reaching for a big piece of cake afterward without washing up first. However, she's surrounded by adults who remind her to wash her hands - after playing, after sneezing, after using the potty. All of these reminders, of course, irritate the little princess - until the maid explains to her just why hand washing is so very important:
"'They (germs and nasties) can get into your food, and then into your tummy...and then they make you ill.'
'What do germs and nasties look like?' said the Little Princess.
'Worse than crocodiles,' said the maid.
'I've got no crocodiles on MY hands.'
'Germs and nasties are smaller than crocodiles,' said the Maid. 'They are too small to see.'
'I'd better wash my hands again,' said the Little Princess."
Okay, so scare tactics worked on the little princess - perhaps not the route I'll intentionally go with my own child, but Wash Your Hands definitely gets the point across that there are negative consequences to foregoing basic hygiene. The little princess is so concerned with cleanliness by the story's end that she doesn't take the piece of cake she so wanted earlier until she asks the maid if she had washed her hands before touching it.
While as lighthearted and funny as the other books in the series, I found Wash Your Hands to be both more instructional, as it tells little kids what to do and why to do it, and a bit less entertaining, since it obviously has potential to make kids worry about germs and getting sick. Not that this is a bad thing - the topic of handwashing is one that will have to be broached at some point - but I can't imagine that this book will be a favorite as my daughter gets a bit older.
~* Crudely Brilliant *~
This short book features only a sentence or so per page, and most of the words are small enough that beginning readers will be able to tackle this one on their own - only 'crocodile' may trip them up.
The illustrations in Wash Your Hands are somewhat crude - simply drawn people with rosy/ruddy faces and stringy or poofy hair. However, the people seem to jump off the pages - the princess's teddy bear bounces out of her wagon as she pushes it downhill, cups and animals fly backward from the force of her massive sneeze, and steam rises from the hot water in the sink. While many of the pictures are lacking in detail, the vibrant colors certainly appeal to my daughter and make the simple drawings that much more appealing.
~* Overall *~
While there's nothing even remotely offensive in this book, I can understand why it wouldn't be a favorite in every household. Yes, it helps reinforce an important lesson, but does so in a manner that may be a little overwhelming for a very small child. Older children will see the humor in comparing germs to crocodiles, and especially in the end where the princess turns the tables on the maid. I give it one and a half - freshly washed - thumbs up.
~* The Fine Print *~
This book is published by Kane/Miller Book Publishers; visit them online at www.kanemiller.com. Paperback copies retail for $6.95 in the U.S.
"colorful germs and nasties enhance the pages without scaring young children. useful and entertaining." - school library journalMore at UnbeatableSale, Inc.
When the little princess hears about the germs and nasties living all around her, she understands the importance of washing her hands. This sequel to ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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