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Monday Is Wash Day
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.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published September 27, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 5, 2017
Paper cut illustrations! Amazing!
January 30, 2017
Reads like historical fiction. A family spends the day doing their wash. It is a much bigger task with more steps than modern readers experience. The whole process is fascinating.
Hand painted cut paper collage artwork makes the whole process beautiful to behold and gives the whole story a wistful atmosphere for days gone by.
Recommended for grades K-4.
Hand painted cut paper collage artwork makes the whole process beautiful to behold and gives the whole story a wistful atmosphere for days gone by.
Recommended for grades K-4.
September 13, 2022
I find it astonishing that I haven't found any mention of the illustrator copying Erin Stead, particularly And Then It's Spring
, throughout the book. There is no dishonor in that for a young, first-time illustrator--that's how an artist learns--and the imitation is so close that she's clearly not trying to hide it. Ms. Blackham does acquit herself well, especially as Ms. Stead might have seemed inimitable before now.
Some examples:
p.10 ("I can lift more...") cf. Amos McGee p.30 ("I'm beginning...)
p. 17 ("It sings...") cf. If You Want to See a Whale p.17 (roses)
p.24 ("When Mama...") cf. And Then It's Spring (cover)
p.33 (opposite "When everything is hanging...") cf. Lenny and Lucy p.21 ("Peter and Harold...")
p. 38-39 ("We go outside...") cf. And Then It's Spring p.32-33 (but the brown isn't around...")
, throughout the book. There is no dishonor in that for a young, first-time illustrator--that's how an artist learns--and the imitation is so close that she's clearly not trying to hide it. Ms. Blackham does acquit herself well, especially as Ms. Stead might have seemed inimitable before now.Some examples:
p.10 ("I can lift more...") cf. Amos McGee p.30 ("I'm beginning...)
p. 17 ("It sings...") cf. If You Want to See a Whale p.17 (roses)
p.24 ("When Mama...") cf. And Then It's Spring (cover)
p.33 (opposite "When everything is hanging...") cf. Lenny and Lucy p.21 ("Peter and Harold...")
p. 38-39 ("We go outside...") cf. And Then It's Spring p.32-33 (but the brown isn't around...")
September 8, 2016
Using hand painted cut paper collage, the reader learns how laundry use to be done before washers and dryers.
July 17, 2017
Great little book, very interesting story line and one that will keep your kiddo's interest!
October 1, 2021
I love the paper cut illustrations in this book. It’s a historical fiction picture book showing how people in the Midwest USA used to do laundry. Some things are still similar when doing laundry today. It might be fun to discuss similarities and differences with the kids!
I have always loved seeing clean clothes and sheets hanging on a line.
I have always loved seeing clean clothes and sheets hanging on a line.
August 14, 2017
A family in the country uses Monday as a wash day. Using an old-fashioned wash tub and clotheslines in the backyard, readers get a glimpse of what life is like without the comforts of automation. Illustrated in collage technique, it can inspire creative exploration for children.
December 31, 2020
A straight-forward telling of how women and girls did the laundry before there were electric washers. It's historical fiction in that way, but the flow is quite nice and the way the children all know how to help and do it willingly is refreshing! The artwork is beautiful and interesting.
June 30, 2017
What was it like to do wash by hand? Monday is wash day and all hands are necessary to get the washing done; this book details the steps that were necessary to do the laundry in the bygone days.
August 15, 2017
Sweet book offering a slice-of-life look when everyone helped with the big chore of laundry. Paper-cut and pencil illustrations.
June 4, 2018
"First we work and then we play." The children help mama with the laundry chore. It's sweet to work together. The illustrations are beautiful.
6/4/18 Read with Naomi, Julia, & Simon.
6/4/18 Read with Naomi, Julia, & Simon.
2020-2021-brambly-academy
August 11, 2020Beautiful illustrations, simple life
August 17, 2022
A family gets together every Monday to wash the laundry in their old school washing machine with many bins and steps. preschool and up
Read
October 8, 2022I liked how this book was illustrated. It appears to be paper crafted instead of drawn. The story was very slo.w
September 16, 2024
Artwork is wonderful in this picture book! Story about family laundry day is so sweet!
September 22, 2025
Beauty in life and chores and rhythms.
January 12, 2017
A look back at the way laundry was typically done in another era. Monday is wash day as two sisters help their mother wash all the clothes then hang them to dry. The graphics are detailed but not overwhelming with an interesting effect.
December 31, 2016
I'm giving this a 3 for effort. I read it for a mock Caldecott discussion. It is a first book for both the author and illustrator. It might be used as a classroom resource, but probably wouldn't work well as a read aloud without an explanation of how laundry was done in the 1930-60s period. I liked the 3-d effect in the pictures, and found the cut paper collage an interesting technique; but the illustrations alone don't carry the story well when there is little or no text. Spoilers: some of the objects change over the course of the book, which will not fly with the Caldecott committee. For example, the yellow house is quite different at the end of the book from what it was in the beginning; the tree behind the clothesline disappears when the girl is hanging up the doll clothes, and the wall behind the tall chest has lost its wallpaper When the time comes to put away the clothes. A nice first effort, and I wish future success to author and illustrator.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2021
Laundry in the olden days used to be an all-day chore and everyone in the family pitched in to help get it done. This picture book illustrates step by step how people moved laundry through the process of washer tub, rinse tub, and wringer. I really liked the hand-painted cut-paper collage illustrations,
especially those of the bubbles from the old fashioned washing machine and for clothes on the line. My only concern is that it doesn't clarify when in history this was for those who are uninformed.
especially those of the bubbles from the old fashioned washing machine and for clothes on the line. My only concern is that it doesn't clarify when in history this was for those who are uninformed.
November 22, 2016
Gorgeous art, but reading about laundry isn't exactly heart-pounding. Some dates on the time period of the book might be helpful, and the setting, too, as the characters' clothing is pretty generic. True to the time period (I guess, though I'm not positive what the time period is), Dad does absolutely zilch to help with the laundry; Mom and the girls do all the work while the baby brother misbehaves, and only on the final page does Dad even show up.
September 27, 2016
Well. This was about what I thought it would be. Washing clothes. The art style is very intriguing with a paper doll cut look. It gives a step by step of old fashioned washing and drying clothes. Its actually interesting and simple enough. I just don't know if a kid would pick the book up in the first place. I just don't know if a child would like it more than an adult.
October 5, 2016
This is such a beautiful book. The illustrations are amazing! My girls kept touching the pages, assuming it must be a pop up book. There is so much detail and texture on each page. Also, it inspired my children to do laundry and they cleaned their room as soon as we finished. That was an unexpected bonus. They kept saying, "I can carry more than you!" and "First we work, then we play."
December 26, 2016
I got the book in order to see the artwork, and it did not disappoint. The second time I read it I focused on the story and was equally impressed. It is an excellent book to enlighten the mind as to what it was like to do the washing without current washer/dryers, as well as show the togetherness of family, and that working together can be its own reward.
November 17, 2016
What a delightful book! The story is very simple and sweet. The illustrations are amazing cut paper. This books should definitely be on a Caldecott shortlist.
Themes: chores, family, day of the week
Themes: chores, family, day of the week
November 22, 2016
Started out kinda ho-hum about this but it grew on me. It was interesting to see how laundry was done back in the day, step-by-step. Kid would probably find it interesting, too. BORING KIDS, anyway. Just kidding.
September 27, 2016
A charming picture book that harkens back to a time when families work together to tackle chores. While not particularly exciting, it's still an enjoyable read. The cut-paper collages are beautiful!
October 5, 2016
the art in this book is amazing & beautiful!
October 27, 2016
A gentle tale of bygone days is beautifully complimented with soft, layered paper-cut illustrations. I’ve noticed Ripple Grove has an excellent eye for art and this new release is no exception.
October 29, 2016
gorgeous collage illustrations
November 1, 2016
A quiet, reflective and detailed description of laundry day without electric washing machines and dryers. Astounding illustrations that are delicate paper constructions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews