The Tub Grandfather

Rating:
Summary: Captivating, but a bit creepy!
Review: My sons listened to this book intently several times. It tells the tale of a group of tub people that live in a bathroom finding another of their kind that somehow had gotten under the radiator a long while ago, and bringing him back to "life". He is the grandfather of the group, and the grandmother is very happy to have him back with her. The pictures are sort of mystical and mellow. While this is an interesting concept (we've all had members of our toy family go missing for a long time and then be found and brought back to the fold) I found it a bit of an odd story for kids. My older son was made quite nervous by it, asking "was the grandfather DEAD? How did he come back from dead?". He was also bothered by the fact the grandfather had lost an eye. If you think your kids might be made nervous by concepts like that, you might want to avoid this or at least read it through first yourself!

Rating:
Summary: My daughter requested this book be read to her over and over
Review: This book, along with The Tub People, charmed my daughter, now 9, from the time she was a toddler. The illustrations are so carefully rendered you feel you are really a part of the tub family. I don't know what exactly it is that captivates my daughter so, but something is definitely different about this book. It could be that all of us remember the joy of finding a once-beloved toy long lost and forgotten. We always enjoy coming to the end when the grandmother dances with the tub grandfather around the hooked rug...something about that scene is incredibly touching.