Somewhere in the world, there’s a thirsty kangaroo stranded in the desert, a frantic bee in a wilting garden, a muddy pig who yearns for a bath, a distressed baboon trapped in a forest fire and a fish in a rapidly shrinking pond. Thankfully, they all know just who to call for help with their water-related emergencies: three unlikely heroes in their shiny white steed, The Flying Bath!

Somewhat Bathroom-Toy-Story-esque, this is a lighthearted book about camaraderie and simply lending a hand whenever and wherever it’s needed. The bright, cheerful illustrations by Iggy Peck Architect’s David Roberts are also full of adorable details — the showerhead telephone! — in a lovely colour palette, and are bound to put a smile on your face. It’s also a clever way to introduce kids to some of the very real water/environmental woes faced by people and animals all over the world.

As some other reviews have noted, the rhymes in this book are definitely simpler than what Julia Donaldson’s fans have come to expect from her (i.e. Gruffalo-style), but if you read the book with an open mind, you might be more charmed by it than you’d expect — like I was. Besides, it’s nice to see an author step out of his or her comfort zone and try to do something different for a change.