I'm Terrified of Bath Time

by Simon Rich, Tom Toro (Contributor)

A hilarious and clever bath-time picture book by humorist, novelist, and TV writer Simon Rich, with illustrations by Tom Toro ( How to Potty Train Your Porcupine ). Winner of the 2023 Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award.
 
And so begins a hilarious dip into the choppy waters of a nightly ritual that parents and children alike often dread. Filled with soapsuds, rubber duckies, and existential angst, Simon Rich’s debut picture book is a splashy tale of cleanliness—and survival. This irreverent read-aloud treat about facing fear and embracing adventure might just change the way you see bath time (and your bathroom) forever.

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Childrens, Storytime, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 2022

About the author

Simon Rich (born 1984) is an American humorist whose first book, Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations, was published by Random House in April 2007.

Rich is an alumnus of The Dalton School and a former president of The Harvard Lampoon, and the son of The New York Times editorialist Frank Rich. He received a two book contract from Random House prior to his graduation from Harvard University in 2007.

His first book, Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations, has been described as a collection of "giddy what-if scenarios". Excerpts of the book were printed in The New Yorker's "Shouts and Murmurs" column. His second book, Free Range Chickens, was published in 2008. His first novel, Elliot Allagash was released in May of 2010, followed by What in God’s Name and most recently, The Last Girlfriend on Earth, a collection of short stories about love.

He is currently a writer for Saturday Night Live.

Reviews

[Lisa Boyd]

Poor bathtub. He always feels so horrible at bath time.

I laughed aloud at this one. Lots of Storytime potential for bathing, fear, water?

[Kristen]

2/22/2025 - Love that the story was from the bathtub’s perspective! It was fun to also add in ways Madi terrifies her tub 😄😄

[Panda Incognito]

This clever, entertaining picture book transfers a child's fear of bath time to the bathtub itself, showing the distress that the tub undergoes when the child is in it. The illustrations are great, and the story's pacing and comedic timing are perfect.

Update: I read this for my bath-themed storytime this week, and it went over very well. The illustrations got kids' attentions, and parents laughed out loud more than once.

[Beth]

You think kids are scared of bathtime? Wait till you hear from the bathtub.

A humorous story with clever illustrations that is sure to put any kid's mind at ease who is afraid of bathtime by making them laugh out loud.

[lolly ♥︎]

* read to practice for storytime at my library.

this was so cute. i think it is a good book for littles who are afraid of bath time or simply just don’t like it. so funny.

[Melenia]

A cute story

[Beverly]

In a fun twist, it's the bathtub that is terrified of bath time, not the child.

[C]

This was so cute and funny. I actually laughed out loud reading a part of this to my husband and I wasn't surprised that a comedy writer wrote this. It's thoroughly charming. My niece and nephew are psycho at bath time. They freak out on my brother and sister-in-law every single night right at bath time and it's insane. I got this as a gift for my brother and his kids and I hope it makes them all laugh, if nothing else!

[Dolores]

A little girl isn't fond of baths, but that's nothing compared to the bathtub's perspective! A delightful and fun story.

[that.bookishbrunette tammi]

I just finished reading I’m Terrified of Bath Time by Simon Rich. This book is really funny and definitely something kids would enjoy. The story follows a kid who is convinced bath time is basically the scariest thing ever, and the imagination behind all the fears makes it pretty entertaining.

The illustrations match the humor of the story and really help show what the character is imagining. I liked that the book takes something a lot of kids struggle with (bath time!) and turns it into something playful and silly.

I think this would be a great read-aloud for preschoolers because the exaggerated fears make it fun and relatable. It’s a light, humorous book that could also help kids feel a little better about bath time.

[Megan]

The cute picture book was authored by a Saturday Night Live writer. The illustrations are done by a New Yorker cartoonist. This book puts the humor into bathroom humor, but in a pure form.

As I began the story I thought a child was narrating her fear of bath time. But no. It's the bathtub. The bathtub dreads the time when a giant will appear and twist its eyeballs to make water shoot out of its nose. Sometimes the child resisting a bath will kick the tub's nose. Sometimes she screams in its ear. And at the lowest of lows, once she pooped in the tub.
I took this book to my 3 year old grandson for a trial run and it was so appreciated that we read it over and over and over again.

[Susan Rose]

Absolutely not what I was expecting, and even more delightful because of this. So it's not the kid or the rubber duck that's terrified of bath time-- it's the bath tub! And from his point of view, no wonder! Bath time is a combination of trauma and indignity for the poor tub. This is a brilliant way to show children how to understand things from a different and very unexpected point of view. The artwork is fabulous and the poop jokes are the best ever. If this isn't a classic it should be one. An inspiring pleasure.

[Darla]

Who is it that is so afraid of bath time? Is it a dog? A child? Nope. It's your bathtub. This book will help you see this nighttime ritual from Bathtub's point of view. So many indignities from the twisting of the eyeballs, water coming out its nose, and (Dare I say?) a possible pooping incident. (A low point for all involved.) So, this book is a plea from Bathtub to the users. Following the handy tips in this book will make the ritual of bath time more pleasant for all and might even make Sink and Toilet jealous. My third read from the Building Block Award Nominees for 2023. Hilarious! 🛁

[Adrianne Neal]

"I'm Terrified of Bath Time" by Simon Rich is a delightful and hilarious read that perfectly captures the imagination and fears of childhood. Rich’s humor is sharp, clever, and absurd in the best way, making even the most ordinary scenario—bath time—feel like a wildly entertaining adventure. The characters are quirky and memorable, and the writing sparkles with wit and charm. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves humor that’s smart, playful, and just a little bit mischievous. It’s a guaranteed smile-inducer for kids and adults alike!"

[Audrey | WellReadandUndead(ish)]

Funny to have a story about someone who’s scared of the bath but it’s from the perspective of a bathtub. There were some witty parts and some weird parts, both because of having to commit to the tub having body parts the family interacted with. It aaaaaalmost leans into a bit of a horror story (like the bathtub’s eyes are the faucet handles so turning on the tub requires twisting his eyeballs), so if you have a sensitive child, just be aware going in.

[Chrissy]

**This book is being considered as a nominee for next year’s Beehive Book Award for Children in Utah. My review reflects my thoughts as it pertains to that consideration.**

Whether or not this one makes the final cut for Beehives next year, I am DEFINITELY using it in a Bathtime Storytime. That was such a fun book, and I know that kids will enjoy it.

[WhiteDF]

While cute and clever for a child who is fearful of the bath, I could see this book having the opposite effect on kids who already enjoy bath time. The illustrations are amazing, but those personified bathroom fixtures are just too much for me. This is one of 10 titles nominated for the 2023-2024 KY Bluegrass Award for a preschool audience.

[Jessica]

This was great! A bath time story told from the perspective... wait for it... of the bath tub! The bath tub is scared because of the way the child acts in the bath, so he gives the child some advice for how to take a less scary and more fun bath. The toilet saying he has his own problems to deal with was pretty funny.

[Amanda York]

I thought this would be a good book to read to a little one that might be afraid of taking a bath because they can see that it isn't so scary after all and it is actually fun and safe to take a bath. A lot of little ones are afraid of the bathtub it's just something they develop, but eventually outgrow.

[Rachel]

This is a cute story where the bath tub and the bath takers roles are reversed. Instead of the toddler being scared of bath time, the tub itself is terrified ! I think this story is a great way to have a laugh with a child who might be afraid/ dislike bath time. It may even encourage the child to take their bath.

[Kim Wilch]

This imaginative approach to bath time is simply genius. The author grabs the child's fear and transfers it to the bathtub. The illustrations transform everyday bathroom fixtures into works of hilarious fun. This book won't be going down the drain anytime soon.

[Molly Cluff (Library!)]

Silly! A tub doesn't like bathtime, and instructs kids on how to make it a more pleasant experience for both of them. The poop jokes got a good chuckle out of me. Fun to help kids who aren't big fans of baths.

[Beverly]

Possible contender for the Mock Caldecott awards in January 2023. The joke's on me. I thought this would a little story to help a child understand that they won't go down the drain with the water. In fact, it's the tub that's terrified. So cute!!

[Alice]

4 stars for this hilarious book about bath time that reminded me of my baby brother's bath times.

[Lucy larson]

Very cute with fun illustrations!

[Kristin]

Bath time, from the perspective of the tub!

[Hannah Jane]

This was terrifying.

[Sima]

Very cute

[Morgan]

So cute, I love this a lot. I will be using this for storytime for sure.

[Michelle]

This is so cute and funny. The bathtub gives the little one some tips on how bath time can be less scary for them both.