Kids love to read about a cat who hates baths

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Let's say it's Sunday and you've had a great weekend.

You spent time outside, maybe riding your bike or running around in the yard. You did a few things for Mom, helped Dad with his chores, played some games, maybe even went to the mall or visited Grandma.

But now it's Sunday night, and you know what that means.

Ugh, a bath. But guess what? As much as you hate taking baths, it could be worse -- you could be a cat.

Just remember this, and say it often: Cats HATE baths.

You'll need to know that when you read "Bad Kitty Gets a Bath" by Nick Bruel, because if you don't memorize it now, you'll wish you had when you get Kitty in the tub.

Even if you don't have a cat at home, you know what cats do. They lick, lick, lickety their paws and their legs and their tails and they give themselves a bath with their tongues. As much as you wish you could do that for yourself, it's probably not a good idea.

But let's say that Kitty gets into something really dirty and smelly. In that case, you're going to want to have plenty of bandages around and a doctor on hand. You might want a suit of armor and clean underwear. An ambulance isn't a bad idea, either, because you'll have to (Uh oh!) give Kitty a bath.

It's not that cats hate water. Some cats like it. Tigers are great swimmers, even. But cats hate getting wet unless they're in charge of the whole thing.

And in this case, you're in charge. Good luck.

First, you'll have to find the Kitty and catch it. Get it in the bathroom and close the door. Make sure the water is warm - not hot - and put Kitty in the water. With a wet washcloth, carefully soak its fur and get it clean. Gently fluff it with a towel and let it go because it may want to lick, lick, lickety again for good measure. Then just hope that Kitty forgives you sooner or later and never gets into anything smelly again because cats really HATE baths.

Doesn't every kid go through a phase where everything somehow gets dunked in a tub, sink or toilet? Better hope they're past that before you give them "Bad Kitty Gets a Bath."

Kids who love cats are going to love this book, not just because of the illustrations, but also because the author, who also penned "Bad Kitty" a few years ago, writes at the perfect kid-level. He knows what children like, and he showers lots of that in his book. He sprinkles in a few things for grown-ups to soak up, then he dumps in a capful of facts that kids will enjoy knowing. The result is a book that will make readers bubble with giggles.

If your 7- to 10-year-old adores cats and silly stories and understands that cats HATE baths, then look for this cute-as-a-kitten book. "Bad Kitty Gets a Bath" is a tubful of fun.

Terri Schlichenmeyer's book reviews appear weekly in the View.