Surprise.
No time like the present to begin posting again! We’ve read a lot of great picture books in recent months.
I know the Perfect Picture Book Friday list is on hiatus for the summer, but wanted to share this book now.
This week’s selection is a book from Rocky Mountain Chapter (Colorado) SCBWI member MaryAnn Sundby. The book releases on September 27 and is from Ripple Grove Press. The book was recently mentioned by Elizabeth Bird’s blog in a post titled — Some of the Best Picture Books of 2016 Thus Far (Mid-Year Summary).
Title: Monday is Wash Day
Author: MaryAnn Sundby
Illustrator: Tessa Blackham
Ripple Grove Press, 2016
Themes/Topics: Chores, Family
Opening: Rain or shine, Monday is wash day.
Brief Synopsis: (from Amazon):
In this timeless story from a time not so long ago, Annie and her sister help Mama with washing the clothes on Monday morning. From gathering and sorting the clothes, to washing and hanging them outside to dry, to folding and putting them away, the family works together to get the job done.
“First we work and then we play.” Mama smiles but walks with purpose to the porch.
Tessa Blackham’s warm, hand-painted cut-paper collages bring the reader to a time in the Midwest when doing the laundry was an all-day family chore.
Links to Resources: Talk to your children about chores. You can create a chore chart. Here’s a custom printable one or visit Pinterest for Creative Chore Charts galore. There are several articles online about how historically there was a strict order to the household schedules like Monday was Washday.
Why I Like this Book: The story is nostalgic. At my age, I still recall my grandmother’s outhouse before indoor plumbing was installed. I’ve never participated in a wash day and neither has my son, but this book gives a glimpse into that world. We have dryers and our neighborhood doesn’t even allow permanent clothes lines. This book is a window to a different world. I’ve met the author MaryAnn Sundby at several SCBWI events and she is delightful and kind.
GIVEAWAY
Share in the comments a memory of your favorite chore or maybe a not so favorite chore. I will put your name in a drawing to win a copy of Monday is Wash Day. Names will be put in a hat and drawn on Sept. 2. The book can only be mailed to a U.S. address.
So, comment below for a chance to win your own copy of the book.
For more PPBF books, check out the list over at the incredible Susanna Hill’s website.
Wow, you really are early for PPBF… but I can understand the whole “can’t wait to share” conundrum.
Monday wash day, Tuesday ironing, Wednesday mend day…. We used to sing a song about this at camp. Love the idea of a book, and LOVE collage art. So am looking forward to seeing this book.
Sue Heavenrich, I remember that song…This is the way we wash our clothes, wash our clothes, wash our clothes/ This is the way we wash our clothes, so early Monday morning.
Tues-we iron our clothes. Wed-we mend. Thurs- sweep the floor. Friday-we mop the floor. Sat-we bake the bread. Sun-we go to church. We still hang out clothes around here sometimes. Would love to win Monday is Wash Day. Thanks for the chance.
My father instituted rock patrol. He would drive the tracker with a wagon attached and we (his three offspring would bend down and pick up rocks and pitch them into the wagon. Yup. I felt like I was part of a chain gang.
When I was a kid, I loved to dust. You would never know it now! This looks like a beautiful book. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I had a Little Golden Book called “We Help Mommy” and one of the illustrations was about laundry. I remember the little girl was pinning up her washed doll clothes on a wee little clothesline. I loved it – because as a little kid you are too small to reach the actual clothesline! I always wished I had something like it for my own doll’s clothing. 🙂
Not quite a chore, but the long walks to get to church and school and swimming when I was growing up in the country with no one to drive or even think that was necessary.
You remember the outhouse?!!! So do I, actually! hahaha Even the small hole seemed too big for me. I was always so afraid I’d fall in. I remember hanging clothes on the line for my mom — and we had a dryer, so you can imagine what mood my 10yo self was in having to do that chore. But sheets dried on the line? So pleasant to slide into bed at night.
As a kid my favorite chore was vacuuming and weeding. Now my favorite chore is washing dishes, by hand. MONDAY IS WASH DAY will be a hit with kids and parents alike. Looking forward to reading it!
Dusting! I always had to dust and my brother got to vacuum. I still hate dusting… I loved polishing old silver though, reminds me of Christmas.
Laundry is actually one of the chores I have always liked to do.
I hate doing dishes.
Can’t wait to read this RGP book!
I would love to read this book. A great idea for introducing chores to kids in a fun way.
My favorite chore is spring cleaning — a complete overhaul of dumping everything in a room on the floor and then cleaning the room and putting things back neatly. I would love a copy of this book to feature on my blog at http://www.literallylynnemarie.com Thanks for the giveaway!
It’s nice to see you back to blogging. I’ve missed your posts. Thanks for telling me about this cute book. It’s funny how chores have changed for me. I hated doing dishes when I was a kid, but now I really enjoy it. I also like to do laundry now but didn’t as a child. Thanks for this post.
I remember our outhouse quite well-LOL I lived in fear of the spiders and snakes on the farm. I helped my Mom do the Monday wash. it was an all day job. My favorite part of housework was on Fridays. Mom mopped and so did I. I had my own broom and mop-just my size 🙂 I liked feeling all grownup pushing that mop and sweeping the floors. Lots of sweet memories. I look forward to reading Ms. Sundby’s PB.
Filling and emptying the dishwasher every day is the chore that sticks in my memory. This book looks lovely, and it’s so nostalgic to think of my grandmothers’s lives in this way.
It is hard to find quality literature that allows young children to compare their families to another from history. This is a fabulous conversation starter with comparison for the classroom. Many kids want to talk about their family! As a former teacher I can see many standards being targeted with this delightful book.
I remember my grandmother using a wringer washer. Ugh. That was hard work! Then hanging out the clothes. The sheets smelled great, though!
My chore was taking the dry laundry off the clothesline. ( Who does that anymore?) I hated it because sometimes wasps were hiding inside the clothes!
Monday was wash day at our house, but mostly we used a dryer ( except sheets, of course). Thankfully, that wasn’t my job. Unfortunately, bathrooms were. Very jealous of my brother’s outside chores (lawn & garbage), and I helped in the garden always. Still love gardening. Can’t wait to read this book!
My chore as a teenager was ironing the laundry that piled up in the utility room basket as soon as I got home from school. Sigh, an ironer’s work was never done. So glad that is over!
Some of us have continued to publish PPBF all summer. Love your pick, I remember hanging clothing outside on the line to dry. In the 50s most families didn’t have dryers, just washers. And we all had chores to do first. Will have too check out this book.
I remember being fascinated when my mother ironed; the familiar scraping metal sound of the ironing board as she pressed the buttons and let the legs fall to the ground, smelling the fresh smell of sheets just off the clothesline, hearing the steam bursting rhythmically out with the soothing back and forth…back and forth, seeing the tip of the iron patiently wiggled into every little fold and around every button. When at last my 9 year old legs had grown tall enough so I could look down at the board, I was given a few pillow cases to press. Mimicking my mothers example, I lifted each corner to match with the others, sliding my hand across pressing down the fold, once…twice with a final burst of steam to flatten the soft square. Then looking up to my mothers proud face for her approval. I would be delighted to have a copy of “Monday is Wash Day” and be able to share the memories with my new granddaughter!
Saturday was kids clean the whole house day. Divide and conquer was how my brothers and I did it.
Can’t wait to see this book! I had a clothesline in my backyard growing up and it was my job to help hang up the laundry as soon as I was tall enough to reach it. My first real “job” was to clean the neighbor lady’s house – dust, vacuum, mop her kitchen floor – somehow it was more fun to clean her house than it was to do the same chores at my house!
While I do miss the smell of hanging laundry outdoors, I do appreciate the dryer! Doing the laundry is an ageless timeless family chore, always better done together!
Yes, I do remember hanging the wash on the line for my mom…my sister and I were modest souls…and we made sure that our undergarments were hidden from any possible viewing by two cute brothers who lived next door…it’s a wonder they ever dried since we covered them with towels and sheets.
I never had any chores, except for school-related chores, like homework. Never really enjoyed it!
Wow u were lucky.
Not really that lucky, though! I mean… I won’t complain, but I don’t know how to do any house chores now. It would have been better to learn the discipline (and the work) as a child. That said, it must be cultural, because I don’t seem to have learned from my parents’ mistakes. My children are also chores-free, except for homework and keeping their rooms clean.
Clap. Clap. Clap. That was my mother’s signal for my siblings and I to be up and dressed with bed made. After a quick breakfast, we immediately trudged to the vegetable garden. Once there, we were each assigned a row which seemingly stretched to eternity that had to be completely weeded before the clock struck 9:30. And if not complete? Another hour of chores were assigned. At the time, it seemed like torture, but now I am so glad I learned how to work.
What a great idea for a book and looks so adorable. I hated that I always had to do the laundry, but loved doing the dishes…especially by hand vs sticking them in the dishwasher. My parents were very strict when it came to chores.
I, too love collage art and the routine of Monday is wash day. It still is for me without the clothesline. Thank you for this book which will promote good conversations about past and future family chores.
I was just telling my son that I recall putting laundry through a hand-cranked wringer going from wash water to rinse water. This book sounds lovely. I like the way the author makes mama sound like a friendly chore-doer rather than a death-marcher, if that makes any sense. Something I need to remember when I’m assigning tasks to my son. LOL.