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Mary Smith
Time to get up!
Did you ever wonder how people woke up in time for school
or work in the days before alarm clocks? In the early twentieth century, townspeople in England hired "knocker-ups" like Mary Smith for a few pence a week. Mary Smith traveled through predawn streets armed with a peashooter and a pocket watch, waking her clients at whatever hour they requested by plinking dried peas at their bedroom windows.
In rollicking words and pictures, Andrea U’Ren re-creates one busy morning in the life of her intrepid true-life subject – a morning when Mary Smith helps her town start its day in timely fashion, only to receive a rude awakening when she comes home. Could it be that the knocker-up’s own daughter has been sleeping in?
Mary Smith is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Did you ever wonder how people woke up in time for school
or work in the days before alarm clocks? In the early twentieth century, townspeople in England hired "knocker-ups" like Mary Smith for a few pence a week. Mary Smith traveled through predawn streets armed with a peashooter and a pocket watch, waking her clients at whatever hour they requested by plinking dried peas at their bedroom windows.
In rollicking words and pictures, Andrea U’Ren re-creates one busy morning in the life of her intrepid true-life subject – a morning when Mary Smith helps her town start its day in timely fashion, only to receive a rude awakening when she comes home. Could it be that the knocker-up’s own daughter has been sleeping in?
Mary Smith is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 13, 2003
1 person is currently reading
96 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 7, 2016
Before wake-up calls, before alarm clocks, there were knocker-ups - townspeople paid to roam the village, waking clients at specified hours. Most used long poles to tap on second story windows. Others had their own ways of getting the job done.
Meet Mary Smith, who was a real-life knocker-up:
Her preferred method for rousing the sleepyheads was a good old-fashioned pea shooter.
Imagine - you're fast asleep when you hear the *PING* of a dried pea bouncing off your window pane. If you fail to turn on a light or open your window, there'll be another pea shot, and still another. *PING, PING, PING!* I'm pretty sure I'd prefer this to my clock radio waking me with the news of yet another disaster.
U'Ren's illustrations are terrific. They lend quite a bit of humor to the tale. I particularly liked the first drawing of Mary stomping through the darkened town, and how the backgrounds gradually lighten as the sky creeps from night into glorious sunrise.
This was an interesting look at an unsung hero who indirectly kept village life booming in Limehouse Fields, London. Here's to you, Mary, possessor of a stout heart, fun-loving soul, and prodigious lung power.
Sadly, I had one question that was never answered.
How did Mary wake up?
Meet Mary Smith, who was a real-life knocker-up:
Her preferred method for rousing the sleepyheads was a good old-fashioned pea shooter.
Imagine - you're fast asleep when you hear the *PING* of a dried pea bouncing off your window pane. If you fail to turn on a light or open your window, there'll be another pea shot, and still another. *PING, PING, PING!* I'm pretty sure I'd prefer this to my clock radio waking me with the news of yet another disaster.
U'Ren's illustrations are terrific. They lend quite a bit of humor to the tale. I particularly liked the first drawing of Mary stomping through the darkened town, and how the backgrounds gradually lighten as the sky creeps from night into glorious sunrise.
This was an interesting look at an unsung hero who indirectly kept village life booming in Limehouse Fields, London. Here's to you, Mary, possessor of a stout heart, fun-loving soul, and prodigious lung power.
Sadly, I had one question that was never answered.
How did Mary wake up?
March 21, 2017
What did we do before alarm clocks if we had to wake up early? U'Ren in this picture book tells the story of Mary Smith of London, who was a "knocker up" (which isn't what you think it is, now!), a person who was hired to wake up people who had to get to work early in the morning. She'd shoot dried peas through a straw at their windows until they signaled to her they were awake. (Others used long poles for upper storey windows, I am told).
I liked the old-timey feel of the art, rendered with humor and warmth. I had been thinking mid-book that as a story it was a little too conventionally rendered, but it surprised me with a twist in the end! Great!
Thanks to Allie, whose review of this I recently, and to Melki, whose review I also recommend. And in Melki's review you can actually see a photograph of the actual Mary Smith! Cool?!
I liked the old-timey feel of the art, rendered with humor and warmth. I had been thinking mid-book that as a story it was a little too conventionally rendered, but it surprised me with a twist in the end! Great!
Thanks to Allie, whose review of this I recently, and to Melki, whose review I also recommend. And in Melki's review you can actually see a photograph of the actual Mary Smith! Cool?!
March 8, 2017
Kind of the opposite of a bedtime picture book, Mary Smith tells the story of a woman in 1920s England who used a pea-shooter to wake people up. Thank god I live in a time of reliable alarm clocks! The story is really fun and not too long at all; and the illustrations have a cool ligne claire style with beautiful dimensional coloring. 4 year no circ? It stays!
February 24, 2024
I love picture books that bring history to life using humor!
November 4, 2010
Do you ever wonder what we did before we had alarm clocks? I know I completely rely on an alarm clock to wake me up in the morning! Sometimes alarm clocks aren’t reliable (power goes out, batteries die…) but in the 1920s they had a very reliable source. Mary Smith was the knocker-up who went around walking for miles shooting dried-up peas at windows to wake up the townspeople. This is a fictional story based on the real life person of Mary Smith and her job. It also has an enjoyable twist of an ending.
I had no idea that such a person existed and was truly interested in this book. I was so excited about this book that I used this book with my class and coordinated it with the questioning reading strategy we were working on. It was perfect. My students were enthralled in the book and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. They generated some outstanding questions that we answered and continued to modify as we read.
The illustrations help add to the time period. The clothing and town feeling do a great job depicting England in the 1920s. This story also ends with a nonfiction explanation of a knocker-up giving a bit more history. I found this page very helpful and a great way of mixing nonfiction with the story. My students wanted to know even more which led some of them to look up information at home. Any book that can continue to keep student interest is a winner in my book! I do not teach the 1920s, but this book could be used with a variety of reading strategies such as questioning, making inferences, or even visualizing. I also think it could possibly fit in an invention unit. Don’t delay- check out Mary Smith today!
I had no idea that such a person existed and was truly interested in this book. I was so excited about this book that I used this book with my class and coordinated it with the questioning reading strategy we were working on. It was perfect. My students were enthralled in the book and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. They generated some outstanding questions that we answered and continued to modify as we read.
The illustrations help add to the time period. The clothing and town feeling do a great job depicting England in the 1920s. This story also ends with a nonfiction explanation of a knocker-up giving a bit more history. I found this page very helpful and a great way of mixing nonfiction with the story. My students wanted to know even more which led some of them to look up information at home. Any book that can continue to keep student interest is a winner in my book! I do not teach the 1920s, but this book could be used with a variety of reading strategies such as questioning, making inferences, or even visualizing. I also think it could possibly fit in an invention unit. Don’t delay- check out Mary Smith today!
September 7, 2013
Hmm. Well, I have to admit that this covered a subject that I can honestly say I never gave a single thought to, but I really can't imagine that this is a subject that would be of interest to kids. When I was done reading this to my niece and nephew they were completely silent. It was like this book made no impression on them at all. I have to give it points for the unique topic, but really, I'm just not convinced this book really speaks to kids.
July 29, 2023
What did people do before there were alarm clocks? Or before the average person could afford an alarm clock? Maybe roosters on farms -- but what if you lived in the city? In London in the 1920s, people employed Knocker-Uppers. They would (for a small fee) wake up before dawn and go around to knock on the windows of their clients to make sure they were awake. Bakers, railroad people, fish mongers, factory workers... anyone that needed to be up early to do their job. Most people used a long pole but Mary Smith used a pea shooter. Sometimes one pea was all it took but sometimes it involved multiple pea shots! The client had to appear at the window to ensure the Knocker-Upper that they were indeed awake.
This clever story follows Mary on her early morning route which ends with the mayor of the city. But when Mary returns home - oh no! There is her own daughter, still asleep in bed. Or is she? Soon Mary learns the whole, humorous tale.
The author has managed to take an interesting slice of history and turn it into a delightful picture book for kids. This is the book that I would put into the hands of a child looking for an interesting character to research for a historical character costume parade. Mary was a very real person - there is even a photo of her in the book!
And how did I uncover this treasure? My oldest son mentioned Mary Smith so of course I had to do some research - and quickly discovered there was a picture book about her! My library did not own it so I requested it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and a copy quickly arrived from Gatesville, TX (which I now know is southwest of Waco). Aren't libraries magnificent?
This clever story follows Mary on her early morning route which ends with the mayor of the city. But when Mary returns home - oh no! There is her own daughter, still asleep in bed. Or is she? Soon Mary learns the whole, humorous tale.
The author has managed to take an interesting slice of history and turn it into a delightful picture book for kids. This is the book that I would put into the hands of a child looking for an interesting character to research for a historical character costume parade. Mary was a very real person - there is even a photo of her in the book!
And how did I uncover this treasure? My oldest son mentioned Mary Smith so of course I had to do some research - and quickly discovered there was a picture book about her! My library did not own it so I requested it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and a copy quickly arrived from Gatesville, TX (which I now know is southwest of Waco). Aren't libraries magnificent?
October 1, 2023
I have waited a long time for a used copy of this to come up at a price that I could afford. I am so excited that this finally happened. I cannot wait to read this one to my grandson when he gets a wee bit older. Such a fun story and a great way to start off a discussion of the way things used to be in this age of technology. No phones, no alarm clocks, just Mary Smith spitting dried peas at your window! Nobody in my realm is a morning person so I don't think that any of us could have been successful as "knocker-up" but it is fun to read about and imagine a simpler time!
July 19, 2019
Love storybooks about quirky bits of history with notes and photos.
December 31, 2023
I found this at a library book sale and enjoyed it immensely. It has a good balance of history within a small, bite-sized story.
February 21, 2013
This lovely story is about a woman named Mary Smith, who was a "knocker-up." She shot dried peas through a tube at people's windows to wake them up because they did not have alarm clocks. She would walk around town and be sure everyone, like the train conductor, was up and ready to begin their day. She came home and her daughter was in bed! Her daughter cried admitting to being sent home by her teacher because she accidentally hit her teacher with a pea instead of a boy sleeping in class. Thinking she was going to get into trouble, they practiced her aim instead.
The story made me want a "knocker-up" myself, but I do not know if I would get up to a faint sound knocking on my window. I am a heavy sleeper and it takes me a great amount to wake up. I have to set four alarms on my phone to finally wake up. I noticed that the book showed lines from the pea, making the reader visualize where the pea was and bounced off of.
In a classroom activity, I would have the students in whole group explain what a knocker-up is to me as I write the information on the board. After all of the facts are written down, I would have the students get into groups of four and make their own "knocker-up." I will provide supplies for the students and they can bring in their own supplies as well. I will give the students twenty minutes to make their object and then each group will have to explain to the class how it would be helpful. By doing this activity, students who are kinesthetic learners will benefit greatly. It will also bring out their creativity and help the students learn to explain their work.
The lexile is 470 and the guided reading level is J. The interest level begins around Kindergarten, but I would not expect a student to read this independently until Second Grade.
The story made me want a "knocker-up" myself, but I do not know if I would get up to a faint sound knocking on my window. I am a heavy sleeper and it takes me a great amount to wake up. I have to set four alarms on my phone to finally wake up. I noticed that the book showed lines from the pea, making the reader visualize where the pea was and bounced off of.
In a classroom activity, I would have the students in whole group explain what a knocker-up is to me as I write the information on the board. After all of the facts are written down, I would have the students get into groups of four and make their own "knocker-up." I will provide supplies for the students and they can bring in their own supplies as well. I will give the students twenty minutes to make their object and then each group will have to explain to the class how it would be helpful. By doing this activity, students who are kinesthetic learners will benefit greatly. It will also bring out their creativity and help the students learn to explain their work.
The lexile is 470 and the guided reading level is J. The interest level begins around Kindergarten, but I would not expect a student to read this independently until Second Grade.
March 20, 2013
This book is about Mary Smith, who was a "knocker-up." Her job was to go around and shoot dried peas through a tube at people's windows that didn't not have alarm clocks. When Mary comes home one day from finishing her job, she finds out that her daughter has been sent home because she hit her teacher with dried pea by accident when she was trying to aim for the little boy that was sleeping her classroom. Mary found a solution to this problem and helped her daughter with her aim so that way she won't miss again.
I gave this story four stars because I thought it was a very comical book. I would have never thought about this way to wake up until I read this book. I'm not sure I would have woken up to a dried pea hitting my window though. I'm sure people back then weren't heavy sleepers, but I know I am. There probably wasn't a lot of noise like we have now. We have washing machines, dryers, cars driving by and many more. I know that I have to hit my alarm clock many times before I woke up. That one pea hitting my window once would have not done it for me.
I would connect this with my classroom by reading this story out loud, the dismiss them back to their seats. I would then tell them to write in their journals about what their routine was to wake up in the morning. Are they light sleepers or heavy sleepers? Would you be able to wake up to a little pea hitting your window? Why or why not?
The Lexile for this book is 470L and the guided reading is J. Think that any age would find this book funny to read though.
I gave this story four stars because I thought it was a very comical book. I would have never thought about this way to wake up until I read this book. I'm not sure I would have woken up to a dried pea hitting my window though. I'm sure people back then weren't heavy sleepers, but I know I am. There probably wasn't a lot of noise like we have now. We have washing machines, dryers, cars driving by and many more. I know that I have to hit my alarm clock many times before I woke up. That one pea hitting my window once would have not done it for me.
I would connect this with my classroom by reading this story out loud, the dismiss them back to their seats. I would then tell them to write in their journals about what their routine was to wake up in the morning. Are they light sleepers or heavy sleepers? Would you be able to wake up to a little pea hitting your window? Why or why not?
The Lexile for this book is 470L and the guided reading is J. Think that any age would find this book funny to read though.
February 17, 2013
Mary Smith is an own personal alarm clock they call her the knocker-up. She wakes up hours before dawn to walks miles around town to shoot peas through her pea shooter to wake up the people of the town. While she is around town waking up every one she comes only home to find a surprise of her own. The illustrations demonstrate the determination that Mary Smith had and also helps the reader connect with what a knocker-up really is.
Mary Smith reminds me a lot of the job my mom gave me as a young child in elementary school. “Rose wake up!” Mary Smith cries. The sentence left me reminiscing about when I had the job of waking up my brother in the mornings. I always had to shout at him because he would never wake up on his own.
Since this book was not as predictable as I thought it was going to be a good project to have in the classroom would be to have the students come up with alternate endings. I would read use this book as a read aloud and towards the end of the book when Mary is on her way home I would open up a discussion about what is going to happen next, and have the kids share their ideas. This helps the kids infer about what is going to happen. To end the activity I would ask the kids how all of them get up for school.
The Lexile level for this book is 470L which is a good read aloud for kindergarten to about third grade and should be reading independently by the end of first grade early second grade.
Mary Smith reminds me a lot of the job my mom gave me as a young child in elementary school. “Rose wake up!” Mary Smith cries. The sentence left me reminiscing about when I had the job of waking up my brother in the mornings. I always had to shout at him because he would never wake up on his own.
Since this book was not as predictable as I thought it was going to be a good project to have in the classroom would be to have the students come up with alternate endings. I would read use this book as a read aloud and towards the end of the book when Mary is on her way home I would open up a discussion about what is going to happen next, and have the kids share their ideas. This helps the kids infer about what is going to happen. To end the activity I would ask the kids how all of them get up for school.
The Lexile level for this book is 470L which is a good read aloud for kindergarten to about third grade and should be reading independently by the end of first grade early second grade.
March 20, 2013
Annotation
Have you ever thought about what life was like before alarm clocks? Or before everyone had an alarm on their cell phone? Well in then1920s people used a "knocker up" this was someone who walked around shooting dried peas at people to get them to wake up. This book is about a knocker up named Mary Smith, and her travels as she would go to her clients houses to wake them up by shooting dried peas at them.
Response
I guess I never thought of life before alarm clocks! This book was very cute and let you peak into a world you would never think about. It lets me realize how lucky I am to wake up to my favorite song rather than someone shooting a dried pea at my fore head, talk a about a rude awakening.
Classroom Connection
This would be a good book to read together as a class. After the reading was done I would have the students return to their seats and write about what other things they think could be used to wake people up other than shooting dried peas. Then they could each share their ideas and have a class discussion about it.
Reading Complexity
The Lexile rating it a 470 I would choose this as a read aloud for kindergarten and an independent read for highly skilled 1st graders and all readers in 2nd grade.
Have you ever thought about what life was like before alarm clocks? Or before everyone had an alarm on their cell phone? Well in then1920s people used a "knocker up" this was someone who walked around shooting dried peas at people to get them to wake up. This book is about a knocker up named Mary Smith, and her travels as she would go to her clients houses to wake them up by shooting dried peas at them.
Response
I guess I never thought of life before alarm clocks! This book was very cute and let you peak into a world you would never think about. It lets me realize how lucky I am to wake up to my favorite song rather than someone shooting a dried pea at my fore head, talk a about a rude awakening.
Classroom Connection
This would be a good book to read together as a class. After the reading was done I would have the students return to their seats and write about what other things they think could be used to wake people up other than shooting dried peas. Then they could each share their ideas and have a class discussion about it.
Reading Complexity
The Lexile rating it a 470 I would choose this as a read aloud for kindergarten and an independent read for highly skilled 1st graders and all readers in 2nd grade.
April 29, 2010
Mary Smith goes around town waking people up by shooting peas at their windows until they come to the window and tell her she’s up. Once she gets everybody up she takes her time walking through town to get home. When she gets home she sees her daughter in bed and thinks that she forgot to wake her up but her daughter tells her that she had been sent home from school because she tried to wake up Timothy but hit her teacher Miss Pinchitt instead. Mary Smith said that they would have to work on her aim and they started shooting peas at each other.
This book gives an interesting twist to History. Not only is the story good but it makes learning about Mary Smith interesting and fun.
This book gives an interesting twist to History. Not only is the story good but it makes learning about Mary Smith interesting and fun.
April 26, 2011
This is a great historical book with a funny twist. Mary is a dedicated lady to here community. She wakes up her neighbors everyday bright and early. That's what she gets paid for. It's her job and is set in a time befor alarm clocks. By the end of her shift at work she returns home to find her own child in bed. It turns out that she was only trying to follow her mothers footsteps. She tryed to wake up a fellow student and got in trouble.
March 8, 2016
Back before we had alarm clocks, there were people who could be hired to come around and wake you up. Mary Smith would shoot dried peas through a straw at the bedroom windows her patrons. The end includes a one-page discussion of "knocker ups" who would usually use poles to tap at bedroom windows. Also includes a photo of the real Mary Smith. Probably best for older students who might appreciate the interesting historical glimpse.
August 23, 2018
I just loved this! I never knew that before alarm clocks that people had "knocker-upper" jobs or whatever, going around and waking the the train conductor, the factory workers, the teachers, etc. by scratching at their windows with long, thin poles. In this case Mary uses a pea-shooter, and it's her job to walk around shooting people and their windows with projectile peas. Short, quick read with a bit of humor and a blurb at the end about the true historical context.
December 13, 2009
Wow! Not a job I could ever do! This amazing woman walks through the town each morning to wake all the residents. She wakes the baker for his early morning job, as well as many others only to return home and find her own daughter in bed! This is a fun way to showcase a job that has passed with the changes in time.
June 7, 2010
Interesting story based on a tidbit from history that I'd never heard about or considered. Has a touch of humor. Not crazy about the illustration style -- at least not for the people, who tend to look a little mean.
August 15, 2016
I love realistic fiction and this book was no exception. The story of Mary Smith's job as a knocker-up was entertaining and informative. How interesting to imagine being awakened by a dried pea hitting the window instead of an alarm clock!
October 22, 2008
I love this book! Mary Smith is the towns alarm clock, an excellent shot with her peashooter. My favorite part is the photo of the real Mary Smith. A fun bit of history.
September 26, 2009
A true story about a woman that had a most unusual but very important job in her little village! I loved this story!
May 29, 2010
What a hoot! Loved this story of how people woke up before alarm clocks. Illustrations are charming with some great perspective, line and all that good stuff.
July 19, 2011
Fun book! And the black and white photo of the real Mary Smith makes the story even funnier.
February 11, 2011
Bccb picture book award winner
June 28, 2013
Picture book based upon the real Mary Smith who worked as knocker-up. Before alarm clocks existed, people hired knocker-ups to wake them up.
November 11, 2013
What was life like before alarm clocks??? Find out in this great little book.
March 18, 2014
This book is about a knocker-up, a person who woke others, before alarm clocks. Very cool!
January 25, 2012
Wonderful picture book about what people did before alarm clocks.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews