Bathtime for Snow Monkeys is an exquisite picture book by author Maggie Tokuda-Hall and illustrator Yas Imamura, the talented duo behind Love in the Library. It uses eloquent haiku and elegant illustrations to depict the warmth and tranquility experienced by a troop of macaques luxuriating in a mountain steam bath.
The opening haiku centers readers in the scene: "Mountains surround you./ This is Jigokudani,/ A park for macaques." Nihonzaru (snow monkeys, also called Japanese macaques) make their way through snow falling "thick and cold." The macaques pass "wet trees, slippery rocks--/ careful and quiet," before reaching the sulfurous-smelling hot springs. Here, snow monkeys huddle together; their "little red faces/ Peer out from brown, furry heads" while steam rises. They come here "to relax./ For clean fur and toasty soaks./ To be close to friends."
Until--splash!--one baby snow monkey in the onsen (soak bath) disturbs "the calm/ And others are cross." This baby "wants to play!/ But no one else does." Mama grooms her child with a reminder to "be mindful and hush," and as the baby settles in, the others do, too. "Snow drifts down," but the nihonzaru don't notice the wet flakes, because "they are warm and safe./ Doing what monkeys do best:/ Staying together."
Tokuda-Hall has created a series of blissfully serene, sure-handed haiku that advance a gentle, low-stakes narrative made deeper by extensive sensory details. Her choice to highlight the universal need for companionship and bonding makes this bath time feel comforting and familiar. Just like humans, her macaques "relax, snack, and occasionally have fights about who gets to sit where." In some important ways, however, they are different; for instance, snow monkeys "make up by picking lice out of each other's hair and eating them."
Imamura's glorious gouache and pastel crayon illustrations employ blues, ochers, and plenty of white snow to convey the heat of the pool and the chill of the landscape surrounding it. The delicate snow monkey faces are winsome and convey a sense of ethereal grace. Back matter explains that, while hot springs occur naturally, this "tidy little pool" was made by humans, a necessity after construction encroached on macaque habitat. Form matches content as the peaceful, hushed, near-magical pairing of haiku and art encourages readers to "enjoy the stillness." --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author
Shelf Talker: The picture book Bathtime for Snow Monkeys uses eloquent haiku and elegant illustrations to immerse readers in the peaceful bliss experienced by a troop of macaques in a mountain steam bath.