My pocket bathroom

Po is a small girl living in a busy apartment in an even busier city. The only space she ever has to herself is the bathroom, which is her sanctuary, but she never gets enough time alone. One day she's visited by Lady Violet, her toilet guardian. Lady Violet gives Po her own private bathroom to keep in her pocket and use whenever she needs some solitude. Eventually, Po realizes how much everyone would benefit from the same thing, so she plants her pocket bathroom, and it grows into a prospering bathroom tree with tiny, personalized pocket bathrooms for all. Lest the plot be dismissed for its unusualness, there is entertaining back matter that highlights famous bathroom deities in cultures around the world, from Zigu in China to Cloacina in Rome. While the story's quirkiness may not summon a wide readership, the mixed-media illustrations in watercolor, gouache, and pencil crayon are vibrant and enchanting--and Lady Violet, in her purple toilet paper--adorned gown and toilet-bowl earrings, is quite the lovely lady.

A girl finds relief in the unlikeliest of places. When you live in the big city in a small apartment with your parents and little sibling, privacy can be hard to come by, so Po treasures the one place she knows she can find it: the bathroom. However, she is often interrupted by family members in need of the facilities. Things take a magical turn when she hears a noise coming from the bathroom and sees a purple-haired, brown-skinned woman proclaiming that she is Lady Violet, Po's toilet guardian. Lady Violet gives Po a tiny purple castle that transforms into a private bathroom whenever the girl chants a special verse. Seeing people waiting in line for public restrooms, Po wishes to share the joys of a private sanctuary, so she plants her castle and out sprouts a bathroom tree with "flower bathrooms, pineapple bathrooms, library bathrooms." Her plan is a success, but she is left wondering of the whereabouts of Lady Violet. The whimsical, first-person narrative will engage readers, as will the art. Featuring big-eyed characters, the bright, textured cartoon illustrations pop with movement. The book concludes with a fascinating note about bathroom gods in mythologies around the world. Po and her family have black hair and olive complexions; their community is a diverse one. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A quirky yet tastefully done tale about the ivory throne. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.