About This Book:
A joyful celebration of Japanese cultural traditions and body positivity as a young girl visits a bath house with her grandmother and aunties
You’ll walk down the street / Your aunties sounding like clip-clopping horses / geta-geta-geta / in their wooden sandals / Until you arrive… / At the bath house / The big bath house.
In this celebration of Japanese culture and family and naked bodies of all shapes and sizes, join a little girl–along with her aunties and grandmother–at a traditional bath house. Once there, the rituals leading up to the baths begin: hair washing, back scrubbing, and, finally, the wood barrel drumroll. Until, at last, it’s time, and they ease their bodies–their creased bodies, newly sprouting bodies, saggy, jiggly bodies–into the bath. Ahhhhhh!
With a lyrical text and gorgeous illustrations, this picture book is based on Kyo Maclear’s loving memories of childhood visits to Japan, and is an ode to the ties that bind generations of women together.
*Review Contributed by Olivia Farr, Staff Reviewer*
What I loved: This is a beautifully written and emotionally evocative read with poignant rhymes and lyrical prose that capture all the feelings, joy, and calmness of the journey to and at the bath house. The book has a thread of body positivity, showing many different body types as they all spend time together at the bath house. The author’s note at the end shares in this celebration of all of us as we are. The soft and lovely images of family demonstrate the love and care of the aunts, grandmothers, and cousins for each other. With gently flowing text, this story comes to life through sounds and moments.
Final verdict: Beautifully illustrated and lyrically written, THE BIG BATH HOUSE captures the joy of family and the comfort of traditions with themes of body positivity and love.
*Find More Info & Buy This Book HERE!*
