Maisy Takes a Bath

Maisy

by Lucy Cousins

Very young children will go crazy for Maisy — and bathtubs!

Maisy and her friends act out the lively adventures young children have — or dream of having — every day. In Maisy Takes a Bath, Tallulah doesn't want Maisy to take a bubble bath just now. She wants her to come out and play instead. What will Maisy's friend do next? Here's another very good reason to be crazy for Maisy!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Storytime, Juvenile

24 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2000

About the author

Lucy Cousins, BA Honours in Graphic Design from The Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Brighton Polytechnic, postgraduate degree from Royal College of Art, is an author-illustrator of children's books. She is best known for her books featuring Maisy Mouse but she has also published other children's books including one about Noah's Ark. She is a mother of four and lives in Hampshire, England. Her own children are the inspiration for her books whose age range is 2-8.

Reviews

[Joey Alison Sayers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Generally I don't review, or even mention, picture books on Goodreads because, as the mother of a toddler, I read about forty-five of them a day. However, this book was so bizarre and upsetting, I wanted to share my thoughts.

The world of Maisy is odd to begin with. They are kids, presumably, but there are no adults. And they gallivant around the city and the carnival unattended and (one can hope) completely safe. So, like many kids' books, there is definitely a level of disbelief-suspension required to enter Maisy's universe.

Then, I stumbled across Maisy Takes a Bath during a quick jaunt to a library with my daughter, who insisted on reading a book despite our tight timeline (that's my girl!). I quickly realized that this book would require some immediate on-the-fly editorializing as I read it. Here's the deal: Maisy is about to take a bath. Talulah the chicken rings the doorbell and asks Maisy to play. Maisy politely declines as she is about to take a bath. Act II: Maisy is in the bath and the doorbell rings again. It's Talulah again wanting to play. Not much time could have elapsed since Maisy is still bathing! Maisy once again politely declines, but this time Talulah is apparently having none of it. Talulah wordlessly walks past Maisy into the house, tromping upstairs and immediately taking off all of her clothes and getting into Maisy's bathtub. Maisy joins Talulah in the bath, hopefully mentally composing an explanation of acceptable social norms for the disturbingly clueless chicken.

I don't really think this book is going to warp my daughter or convince her that it's okay to get naked without invitation and impose on other peoples' plans. But it was perhaps the most striking example of a picture book that conveyed all the wrong messages. I don't know if I can trust you again, Maisy. You really let me down.

[Books Ring Mah Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I learned Lucy Cousins is a pervert with a fetish for lesbian interspecies erotic water fun.

In this tale we find Maisy mouse, trying to take a bath. Maisy is interrupted twice by her friend Tallulah - some sort of bird. Tallulah runs upstairs and takes off her clothes and plays in the tub with Maisy.

mmmm hmmm.
This is not wholesome reading. No sir.

[Damera Blincoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let’s just say that I was deeply disappointed with this book. There should always be some boundaries. Maisy tells her friend Tallulah that she is taking a bath and can’t play at that time, to which the friend decides that it’s okay to push past her at the door, walk up the stairs, get naked and jump in the tub with her. Since when did this become okay?

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tallulah totally creeps me out in this one. Chicken cannot take a hint to save her life, then she walks right into Maisy's house, takes off her clothes, and gets in Maisy's bathtub without even asking? WTF?

[✟Roxanne✟(Death by Book Avalanche) ☠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter loves to read any book about bathtime as she loves to play in the bath. This is a really cute and brightly coloured book for children aged 3+.
...Maisy's friend randomly turning up and getting in the bath with Maisy was a little weird though...

[Jj · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very weird. Like everyone has already said, this involves a rude and overaggressive friend (Tallulah) with serious boundary issues who comes to Maisy's house. She wants to play tennis RIGHT NOW, and before you can blink she is barging into Maisy's house, disrobing entirely except for her hairbow, and jumping into the bathtub. Then Maisy jumps in, too. The end.

Huh?

I kept thinking I must have missed some pages when I read this. Then I flipped back and forth... and saw that it's just a bizarre and disjointed story. No thanks, Maisy, I will pass on this one even though I usually love to use your stories with the younger set in storytimes.

Also, I think this book should be called "Tallulah's Bath" in giant letters and in much smaller letters, "in which Maisy also happens to be present" could follow. That would be much more accurate.

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ah, aside from Maisy referring to herself in the 3rd person- I'm not too fond of the message of this book. Her friend gets told to come back later....comes back a minute later, lets herself in, takes off her clothes and gets in Maisy's bath with her? and that's all happy normal behaviour. ? Ah, no. This book is not okay. Collecting these for my niece and I don't feel great about sending this one. :(

[Zoe Twose · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you want to teach your child consent, boundaries and manners this book isn't for you. Maisy takes a bath the bird friend wants to play, Maisy makes it very clear she is busy and doesn't want to play with her friend as she is taking a bath, but the bird immediately returns, ignores Maisy walks up the stairs uninvited and gets in the bath with Maisy. The creepy factor is strong in this book!

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple book about bath time. Maisy is interrupted by her friend, who eventually joins her in the bath. Its not that special of a book overall, but just right for toddlers who love their bath time.

[Edniger Vences-Garcia-Gracias · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am a fan of Maisy the mouse as much as the next guy, i am a huge(like me) fan of maisy the mouse and i know that all her books have diferent meanings. Although this book spoke a bit differently to my tubby tummy.
A beaner such as my self knows bath time is fun, friendly, and frisky. maisy gets a bit TOO frisky in this book.
Maisy just wants to take a nice bath all to her self if u know what i mean ;^) when all of a sudden her bitch tina comes knockin on her door.
now tina is a whore.... this but be humpin everyone any chance she gets ( R.I.P alligator dude @maisygoessledding)
Tina be knockin up at maisys door wanting to p l a y. if u know what i mean ;^)
after maisy refuses tina for the fourth time, maisiy gives into her itch and allows tina to come in.
this book is already provacotive enough with maisys riskay towle that covers jack shit.
over all, tina and maisy take a bath together and bond if u know what i mean ;^)

i recomend to anyone that is horny

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super simple book that went over well with 2-year olds. The parents and I laughed about the idea of a friend just coming in, taking off their clothes and joining someone in the tub. I see that a lot of reviewers here were really disturbed by that. I think it just needs to be discussed - is that something we would really do??? No! It is just a funny thing that happens in this book. When I read this book to myself it seemed weird that Maisy is always called Maisy (not by a pronoun) but when reading it aloud it seemed OK. It portrays a positive image of bath time and was a good read aloud for my group.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both of my children have loved this book. Even more so than others in the Maisy series. I think it is the applicability to their lives. My one year old daughter delights in the stairs in the illustrations. She is used to taking off her clothes and taking baths. My husband and I have instituted a family joke about the neighbor at the door. I think this is one of those books we will remember for many years.

[Literary Strawberry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could have been about learning a lesson on patience and boundaries, with Tallulah accepting that Maisy was busy taking a bath and wouldn't be able to play until later, but instead ends with Tallulah barging into the house, taking off all her clothes, and getting in the bath with Maisy. Very strange decision, storytelling-wise

[Kari Burke · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is going on with this crazy book? It is quite inappropriate and disturbing to think that it is okay to bust into your friend's house and hop into her bath with her- seriously this is just wrong on so many levels....

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same format and illustrations that my boy really likes. I bought this one at a thrift store for a quarter. Couldn't pass up adding it to our collection for so cheap especially since these older books aren't readily available in new stores anymore. Admittedly the story gets a little uncomfortable.

[Cate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Maisy books but this is a bonkers story with a wild twist. It isn't realistic compared to actual life, and probably isn't sending the right message to children... It's not ok to push your way into your friend's house and join them in the bath, kids!

[Hiba Yuki · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book just comes across as creepy.

[Av · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tallulah needs to learn about consent man

[Emily Prior · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Storytime on March 2, 2022
Theme: Bathtime

[Kristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. Pretty presumptive of Tallulah.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute fun my 10mth old loves the pictures

[Adam Tabaka · Rating 1 out of 5]

What in tarnations is this book

[Tabitha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Instructions on how to end up in jail 😯

[jellyttea · Rating 2 out of 5]

We love Maisy stories in our house but this one was a bit strange. I don’t believe my children will take any bad messages from it but I also don’t think it is acceptable to ignore boundaries, even in books.

That being said, my 2 year old enjoyed the typical illustration style and familiar characters.

Rating based of mine and my daughter’s personal experience and taste. We may revisit in the future with an updated rating and review.

[Destiny Dawn Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

My daughter loves Maisy. I think partly because we borrowed some Maisy lift-the-flap books when she was younger and now she has these cool associations with her. I also think that the bold design of the illustrations appeals to her toddler brain.

But, I really struggle to enjoy the text in these books now. I know it's supposed to be simple and bold, like the illustrations. Yet it doesn't work for me. It feels too babyish. And unnatural, stunted.

Also, I thought that Tallulah just stripping down and jumping into Maisy's bath was a little odd? Not that I think that there's anything really wrong about kids taking a bath together... it just seemed a violation of boundaries. She didn't ask first or anything.

[eRin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maisy is trying to take a bath and keeps getting interrupted by her friend Tallulah. When she answers the door she says "Hello Tallulah. Maisy can't play right now. It's her bathtime." Tallulah interrupts again and then takes charge and jumps in the bath with Maisy.

Is talking in the third person a learning technique for the very young? This book was strange to me. I really don't get the talking in the third person thing. My two-year-old niece does it all the time, but I'm not sure it should be encouraged through books. It's cute and all, and she'll grow out of it, but..it's weird in a book. The illustrations are bright and colorful, but otherwise blah. I'm not loving this.

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lucy Cousins, Maisy Takes a Bath (Candlewick Press, 2000)

I've always found the Maisy books to be a little odd, and this one is possibly the oddest of the bunch. Tennis-playing Tallulah wants Maisy to come play, but Maisy's taking a bath, so... hey! Let's hop right on in with her! Umm... all right. Creeptastic! I'm thinking this one may quietly find its way to Half Price Books in the near future. * ½

[Rebecca Snodgrass · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was just plain dumb. It might be good for a young child's library, but the pictures were kind of boring and the story had no real plot at all. I would never read this book to my class ever. Why is it okay for Maisy to be alone and take a bath with someone all by herself. It's just weird!!!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really liking this story of maisy getting ready to take a bath until her friend Tallulah comes to visit a second time and upon hearing maisy is still in the bath promptly runs up the stairs takes off her clothes and joins her. I just found this a little strange but if your a maisy fan you'll probably like.