Pippin Takes a Bath

Nikki Tate-Stratton writes novels for preteens; her latest books are
Jessa Be Nimble, Rebel Be Quick; Raven’s Revenge; and Tarragon Island.

Pippin is a brown dog with floppy ears, a curly black tail, a passion
for mud, and an aversion to baths. Her long-suffering owner, Mabel,
expends a great deal of energy chasing her filthy pooch over ditches and
across fields in an attempt to catch her and toss her in the washtub.
Pippin’s determined escape efforts eventually bring her into contact
with a skunk and result in a whole series of baths, including a couple
in tomato juice and vinegar.

Johansen uses tried and true techniques of repetition, onomatopoeia,
and exaggeration to tell her story. The cartoon-style illustrations and
the book’s airy design support the text well. The result is a light,
silly story for young children.

Though the book’s structure is intended to maximize the farcical
possibilities of chasing a filthy dog all over the place, the author
asks for a big leap of faith when she expects us to believe the dog
would actually have such a dramatic change of heart following the skunk
episode. (Pippin willingly steps into the tub because she is so
disgusted with the smell.) Since much of the rest of the text is very
realistic (“You’re too muddy. You can’t come into the house like
that.”), the dog’s magical personality transformation doesn’t
quite fit. Nevertheless, there are some very amusing aspects to this
account of a familiar dog-versus-human struggle. Recommended with
reservations.