On My Way to the Bath

by Sarah Maizes, Michael Paraskevas (Illustrations)

Baths are boring. Everything is more fun than baths. But when Livi's mother hollers "Bathtime!"-a call readers and their parents are all familiar with-her imagination takes her on a journey full of daring obstacles and exciting events. She must battle a snake, rule the world, and escape quicksand, all while her mother waits with the bubbles ready. With delay tactics as creative as this, it's a wonder she ever makes it all the way into the tub. Bringing together a picture book debut, author Sarah Maizes and illustrative veteran, Michael Paraskevas, this funny, fresh book will be a must for every parent who wants to foster creativity while fulfilling the every day necessities.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Storytime, Adventure, Animals, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Sarah Maizes is a published author, freelance writer, comedian, and founder of MommyLITEonline.com, a parenting humor website.

She is a regular contributor to TODAYMoms.com, HuffingtonPost.com, and CBS/LosAngeles.com’s “Best of LA.” and her work has been featured in Los Angeles Magazine, on Today.com, MSNBC.com, DailyCandyKids.com and , and Eonline.com's "Fashion Police."

She has also written for More.com, DivineCaroline.com, JDate.com, HybridMom.com, ParentsConnect.com, Momtourage.com, TheWellMom.com and Autisable.com – a website for parents dealing with Autism.

Sarah has appeared on The Today Show, KTLA, CNN Headline News with Brad Pomerance, NPR's "What Would Rob Do?,"ABC News Now’s “Moms Get Real with Ju Ju Chang,” and is a regular contributor to NPR’s “Tell Me More with Michel Martin.”

Sarah lives in Los Angeles with her 12 year old daughter and 9 year old boy/girl twins and two ridiculously fat guinea pigs.

Reviews

[Krista Mcdowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute book about a little girl and her adventures to the bathroom. As I was reading this book, I was reminded of my adventures in babysitting when I have to give the little one's a bath. I feel that we sometimes go through the same things that this Livi went through! Like going through the Jungle or being a lion. It was very entertaining and I would recommend this book to children who maybe dislike bath time because it shows that bath time can be a lot of fun. It is a new twist on bath time.

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is really fun! Storytime themes: bath, adventure, pretending/make believe/imagination

[Davina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about a girl who gets caught up with her imagination when called for her bathtime. :)

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the illustrations that show her morphed into the creature she is pretending to be. Love the fun.

[Lupine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this why my child takes so long to do things? Cute, funny and will resonate with parents.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

A delightfully told and drawn story of the epic adventures imagined on the way to the day's most boring time.

-Monty K.-

[Jennifer Miera · Rating 4 out of 5]

The little girl does just about everything you can think of to avoid taking her bath...very imaginative and funny.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. Great reading for any parent with young children.
Highly recommend. excellent artwork. a definite yes!

[Jocelyn Hee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this fun book! The pacing of Livi moving to the right and mum yelling on the right hand side in speech bubbles just automatically makes you want to keep turning the page. Love the illustrations by Michael Paraskevas and what a wonderful, imaginative, endearing and cheerful character Livi is! Makes me want to meet her!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a fun book about a girl with a lot of imagination, all the imaginative things she'd rather do that take a bath, and then the imaginative ways that she enjoys the bath once she is in it. Really, I like everything about it except the portrayal of the mother, who nags but really doesn't seem to get much respect from her daughter.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't read this book and not chuckle. I love the way this book describes the ideas of the little girl being called by her growingly impatient mother to get to the bath. Imagination is a wonderful thing!

[Danielle Mootz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grrr. This book reminded me of my kids and the million things they need to do on their way to the bath.

[Windy Kahler · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are a favorite in our house. Fun, quirky, and adorable rhyming books.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mom found this book at the library. I love reading it over and over again. I was happy when Mom found our own copy of it. Now I get to read it whenever I want!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the imagination of the child. Hated the "yelling" of the mother

[Shanice Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was witty! Livi reminded me of my own child when it is time to take a shower. She would do anything to avoid getting in the bathtub.

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for children to read before bed. It is funny and is about all the crazy things she does before she takes a bath. I also really enjoyed the illustrations throughout.

[Penney Letbetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely worth purchasing

Kids will laugh as they relate to all the reasons to put off doing something you don’t want to do, only to discover it was really fun all along.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Livi doesn't want to take a bath so she stalls on her way from the living room to the bathroom having multiple adventures along the way. Meanwhile her mother is calling and getting impatient waiting for her. Cute. Preschool or one on one.

[Andi Martineau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bath time!! Livi's mother says it's time for her to take a bath. Do you think Livi wants to take a bath right now? No! Livi procrastinates while walking to the bathroom. She is many different things on her way. For a while she is a snake, a gymnast, in a band, built herself and a cat out of blocks, and everything else but getting ready for her bath. Once Livi frustrates her mother enough and actually gets into her bath she has such a good time that she doesn't want to get out. Now Livi's mother has to go through everything again to get Livi into bed.
The art in On My Way to the Bath has a cartoon style and is very humorist. The pictures portray Livi's procrastination very well. Young children will enjoy looking at the pictures and finding all the little details that are in the background of most pages. I would read this book to a kindergarten or first grade class while talking about manners and listening to your parents and teachers.

[Beth Starcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I think I loved this book because I Know so many younger kids that act this way. The book was about a girl and her mother wanted her to take a bath, but instead she has other things in mind. When she finally decides to take a bath she pretends to be going through different stages or ideas as she goes to the bathroom to take a bath. Some of them was passing her sisters room, her guinea pigs, she march's like she is playing in the band, she passes through a jungle and many more places. Once she finally reaches the bath tub she gets in and she is having a great time. Then when her moth said it was time to get out she pretends to be a shark so she does not have to get out. Like I said this was a really cute book with some really cool illustrations.

[Aleece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livi's mom calls for her to come to the bathroom to take a bath but Livi says baths are boring and everything is more fun than baths. So on her way to the bath she has tons of adventures and lots of fun. Livi becomes a snake, then a gymnast, and a rock star. Her mom keeps calling her to the bath until Livi's adventures finally take her to the bathtub.

I like the creativity that Livi shows and the illustrations compliment her free adventuresome spirit. I love Livi's imagination and kids and parents will both enjoy this book. It is also good for kids who don't like to take a baths and kids who love creating their own worlds through their imagination.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Livi doesn`t want to take a bath. Baths are boring! Everything is more fun than a bath. So, on her way to the bath, she`s a snake! Or a gymnast doing a perfect split! Or a rock star putting on a show! Or a supervillian trying to take over the world! She is everything and everywhere but she’s NOT in the bath, much to her mother`s exasperation. Of course, once she is, eventually, in the bath, will she want to get out again? Most parents know the answer to this question. This fun and imaginative book will make you laugh at Livi`s creativity in delaying her bath.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

This loses a star because the prose is stilted by lack of contractions--makes it sound "Charlie and Lola"-ish. That works in those books but not here. It's a pity, because there is some nice word use and the art here is great. Michael Paraskevas created the fabulous early NickJr cartoon "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast", and it serves the story well here as Livi terrifies her baby brother as a "snake",slinks through the jungle, pounces as a cat and more. Enjoyable, but it could have been really great, and the language detracts from the experience.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's bathtime for Livi, but as she declares from the outset, "Everything is more fun than baths." She proves this by imagining all kinds of fun scenarios on her way to the bathtub. She becomes a snake, a gymnast, a rock star and more. Once she's in the bathtub though, she changes her tune and finds that taking a bath can be fun too. The ending leaves an opening for kids to guess where Livi's imagination might take her in the bathtub.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Livi does not like to take baths; preferring to do ANYTHING else instead. As her mother fills her bath, calling all the while for Livi to get in the bathroom, Livi gets distracted along the way to that dreaded, boring, nightly bath.

This book made my daughter and I laugh due to the similarity of our own quarrels about bath time here at home. Why she fights me so I will never know, once she is in there there is no getting her out.

[Maria Burel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Livi does not want to take a bath. Baths are boring. What is more exciting? Being a slithering snake and scaring your brother. Or playing the tuba in a marching band. Or creeping like a jungle cat upon your unsuspecting mother... Livi's wild imagination takes all sorts of twists and turns on her journey to the dreaded bath. And once in the bath, Livi finds that maybe she has just a little more imagining to do.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hit in story time and a parent checked it out after.

The protagonist, finds bathes boring and precedes to have several adventures on the way to her bath; but once in the bath... 6/5/13

Another hit at PJ Story Time, from preschoolers to grandmas. 6/30/14

The story time crowd seemed mesmerized by this. (It is also one story were my singing off key may enhance the story.) 7/14/15

Used again and went over fairly well. 6/21/16

Chosen and read as last book in Read-in

[Danica Midlil · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are guinea pigs! :)
Cute imaginative little girl. Reminds me a lot of Just Go to Bed!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid I loved taking a bath. In fact I would make up excuses to take a bath. Anyways, Livi is not interested in a bath and uses her imagination to stall going to the bath. She pretends she is a snake, stops by her sister room etc etc. Then when she gets to the bath, she stays and stays and stays having a good old time.... kids what are you gonna do with them!?!