Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine    by Gloria Whelan & Nancy Carpenter Order:  USA  Can Simon & Schuster, 2014 (2014) Hardcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Bob Walch It's not easy being queen, especially if you'd like to swim in the ocean like your subjects do. In this picture book, Queen Victoria quickly discovers that sea bathing may not be something she'll be allowed to enjoy. When the Queen indicates she'd like to hit the beach and paddle a bit in the surf, her staff is scandalized. 'I've never heard such nonsense before. Impossible,' her lady-in-waiting exclaimed. 'It would be a disgrace to see more of the queen than her hands and her face. How would she get from the beach to the water without showing more of herself than she ought to?' How indeed? Yet, that was what the Queen's husband, Prince Albert, decided to figure out. As you read this delightful picture book, you'll see how Albert used his royal wits to construct a bathing machine to allow his wife to take the waters at their coastal retreat on the Isle of Wight. Based on a real situation (you can see the actual bathing machine today if you visit the Isle of Wight), this is an amusing story which also introduces the young reader to the famous monarch in one of her less formal moments. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews