ELE: The Tub People

[Karen DeFrank <defrank@VOICENET.COM>]

Frederick - I'm copying your idea, but using picture books!  :-)

_The Tub People_
by Pam Conrad
illustrated by Richard Egielski
Scholastic, 1989
28 p.

The Tub People is a story about a family of little wooden people who are tub
toys.  Every night they have adventures while an un-named child takes a
bath, and when the bath is done, they are lined up on the edge of the tub
before the plug is pulled.   One night, though, the plug is pulled before
they are safe on the edge of the tub, and the tub boy gets sucked down the
drain.  After a plumber is called, the tub family is removed from the
bathroom and now they have adventures on the quilt on the bed, safe from the
drain. The little family is together again, and if you look very closely,
you will see smiles on their faces.
This book reminds me of Raggedy Ann and Andy. There are few humans in the
story, and the little people have emotions and feelings as if they are
alive. If the humans played a bigger part in the story the make believe
wouldn't seem so real.  The chldren I read this to always seem to hang
on every word.  I wish someone would make little wooden toys like the
ones pictured in the book.
There is a sequal, The Tub Grandfather.
Pam Conrad also wrote _The Lost Sailor_ (also illustrated by Richard
Egielski) and _Prairie Songs_, which was included on our LM_NET Favorite
Books for Children list.
Richard Egielski wan the Caldecott Medal in 1987 for illustrating _Hey, Al_
by Arthur Yorinks.

Karen DeFrank
Dorothy L. Bullock Elementary School
Glassboro, NJ  08028
defrank@voicenet.com

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