GOING FOR A SEA BATH

Young Leanne’s bathtime turns anything but boring once her father starts bringing in tub buddies from the sea.

Leanne’s continuing complaints that there’s nothing to play with send her father scampering outside to bring back one turtle, two eels, three clownfish, and so on. But by the time 10 “octopi” have been wedged in, it’s time to think outside the tub. So down to the shore go dad and daughter (both white): “The waves were wonderful. The sun was superb. The sand was sublime. Leanne said, ‘A sea bath is the most fun of all!’ ” Delisle renders both human and animal figures in her colorful, increasingly crowded cartoon scenes with reasonable accuracy (Leanne is bare, but she is artfully fig-leafed throughout) and great animation. Let carping critics complain about the hazards of bathing with sea urchins and live fish, not to mention the whole salt water–vs.-fresh situation—young viewers will see the animals enjoying themselves as much as Leanne and her father are, laugh at the octopus draped over the toilet reading “The Little Mermaid” and other visual jokes, and take pleasure in the whole silly, playful premise. And to quell any lingering worries, a final wordless scene shows the animals all scurrying back to the sea.

Bathtub fun, warm father-daughter interaction, a bit of exposure to sea life…and opportunities aplenty for counting, too.