Skip to main content

Why Do I Have to Make My Bed?



Why Do I Have to Make My Bed? Or, A History of Messy Rooms
by Wade Bradford, illustrated by Johanna van der Sterre
Tricycle Press, 2011. Unpaged. Picture Book

The age-old question, why should one make one's bed since it's just going to get messy again anyway, is answered in the usual unsatisfactory way in this tour through the ages of children asking. As each child asks, each mother is reminded of her grandmother, or her great-grandmother, or her ever-so-many times great-great grandfather and how he/she didn't want to make his/her bed either. The pioneer girl has already "dusted off Pa's fiddle," picked up her marbles, lasso, and rag doll so why should she have to make her bed? The Roman boy has already "unclogged the aqueducts, dusted off the statues, and picked up after the gladiators," and the Viking girl has already "stoked the fire . . . , dusted off the sacred blowing horn . . . , and patched up Father's war wounds," so why should they also have to MAKE THEIR BEDS? All these children, even back to the Cave Child, get the same answer, which you can probably guess, but if not, read through this delightful book to find out. Information on children's lives and amusements through the years is appended. The pictures are a gas, too--especially the similarly aggrieved looks on the faces of each child.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Mixed-Up Owl

The Mixed-Up Owl  Written by Marzena Sowa Illustrated by Joanna Lorno New York : Hippo Park, 2025. Picture Book. When Owl can't sleep at night, he heads off to see if any forest animals can help him understand why, and even more so, how to fix it!  Unfortunately, all the animals Owl runs into at night are asleep and all the animals he meets during the day are too rude or too busy to answer him.  Will Owl give up or will a chance meeting with a grumpy hedgehog provide all the solutions Owl was looking for? The premise of an owl trying to stay awake during the day because all the other animals around him do is very fun. Kids who know that owls are nocturnal will get a kick out of Owl's confusion and be quick to try to tell him what's going on.  Readers who don't know many facts about owls (or nocturnal animals in general) will get a brief introduction to the different ways animals sleep. The illustrations are charming, especially cute Owl and his expressive body langua...

Display: Be A World Traveller

Real Castles Around the World Written by Kaitlyn Duling Vero Beach, Florida : Rourke Educational Media, 2025. Informational. 48 pages Take a trip around the world as you read about the most impressive castles ever built! Explore fierce fortresses, castles that have inspired stories, uniquely colorful castles, and the history behind them all as you Travel to Real Castles Around the World! Part of the Travel to Children s Book Series, this 48-page nonfiction book explores castles both past and present, the kings that inhabited them, and knights that fought to protect them! Lower the drawbridge, cross the moat, and travel to real castles from all around the world as you learn about our magical history with fun-filled facts and vibrant photos. History Book Features: Before- and after-reading activities. Extension activity. Glossary About Rourke Educational Media: We proudly publish respectful and relevant nonfiction and fiction titles that represent our diverse readers, and are designed to...

Review: Grounded for All Eternity

Grounded for All Eternity By Darcy Marks New York : Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2022. Fiction. 375 pgs. Malachi, Crowley, and Lilith are just your average, normal, middle-school kids. That is, if you consider living in the suburbs of Hell and having black feathered wings normal. They want to enjoy their school free vacation, but Hell is on lock down after the soul of Reverend Samuel Paris, leader of the 1693 Salem witch trials, escapes. Malachi and his friends travel to Earth, looking for some fun, but accidentally bring the Reverend's soul with them to modern day Salem, Massachusetts. Chaos ensues, and Malachi meets many new types of characters, such as witches, angels, and humans. Malachi and his friends must work together to return Reverend Sam's soul to Hell, or else all of Salem will be destroyed. Or worse, be grounded for all eternity.  Read this book for the ultimate Halloween experience, and if you want to revisit the ...