Mrs. Wishy-Washy

Mrs. Wishy-Washy

by Joy Cowley, Elizabeth Fuller

Cow, Pig, and Duck think playing in the mud is great fun, but Mrs. Wishy-Washy thinks otherwise, so she tries to wash them clean and discovers that you can't turn your back on a mud-loving cow, pig, or duck.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Pre K, Humor

16 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Cassia Joy Cowley is a New Zealand author best known for her children's fiction, including the popular series of books Mrs. Wishy-Washy.

Reviews

[Jason Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A deep reflection on the futility of trying to effect change in contemporary society.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this at baby storytime at the library. I'd never read this one before (don't think I have), but it was cute enough. Simple, too. Little guy seemed to like it. Personally, I think I liked "That Is Not A Good Idea" by Jan Thomas better for a similar concept, but maybe this is where that concept came from.

[createitlibrarian (Amanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for a bubbles or a germs storytime. The kids participated by saying "Wishy-washy, wishy-washy."

[SaraLaLa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Wishy-Washy will always have a place in my heart as I remember my kindergarten teacher not only reading it to us, but dressing like her!

This story is about a woman who must live on a farm with a cow, a pig, and a duck. They all like to play in the mud. I would presume that Mrs. Wishy-Washy likes to keep things clean since she then decides to wash all of the farm animals. Spoiler: her best efforts get foiled when they all jump back into the mud once she goes inside the house.

This story is very short and does not have a lot of words at all. The author conveys a lot with so little. The alliteration/onomatopoeia adds a lot of fun. My 6-month-old daughter fell in love with this book and I read it to her 3 times in a row. She giggled and talked to it. I've never seen her react so strongly!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the cutest ever. The cow, pig and duck are very mischievous..they want to be full of mud but mrs. Wishy washy...nope she wants a clean house. Ha! Such a short cute story and I watched a video of children performing in a play so if you make the characters the kids can retell the story in dramtic play time.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great length for young children with short attention spans. I like the different jumped, rolled, and paddled, for each animal. The end is silly which children love that. Besides that and being just a cute, short book there's not much left to say about it. If you need something to fill in 5 minutes this will work great.

[Marisa Severin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains simple sentences which makes it perfect for early readers. The story line was short but interesting. I particularly liked the part in which the animals got all dirty again after she cleaned them. I enjoyed it.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

a funny story that shows repletion

[Matt Colvin]

Mrs. Wishy-Washy is an illustrative childrens story written by Joy Cowley. The story is a playful story about Mrs. Wishy-Washy, a lady who simply just likes cleaning stuff. She has a special affinity for washing her animals, and the animals do not share this, so they escape, eventually being rounded back up by Mrs. Wishy-Washy where the cleaning repeats.

Mrs. Wishy-Washy is a great introduction into reading. It's repetitive, simple in it's wordplay, and creates an overall entertaining story for the young reader. It provides simple humor, simplicity, and repetition to create an inviting early level book for readers.

In the classroom, this seems like a Kindergarten level book, and not much higher. For children I could see this being used as a way to encourage hand washing in the classroom, while also providing an entertaining book for the class. I say handwashing due to the repetitive nature of Mrs. Wishy-Washy washing her animals, it could be related to needing to repeatedly wash hands, whether when sick, after using the bathroom, etc.

[Erin Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Wishy-Washy is an exciting book to read to child around the age 2-4 years. This book teaches children about three different animals which is a pig, a cow, and a duck. I love the illustration because it brings out so much detail and it also shows the enjoyment the animals have when they are rolling around and jumping in the mud. I think children will love how the animals want to be dirty instead of being clean.

[Sterlande Altidor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book; it is a short story for children to enjoy. The small board book format is perfect for small hands to use. This book is consisting of simple words, repetitive events, and fun animals that make the story engaging for toddlers. This book is fun for children to read over and over again.

[Adriana Palencia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very short and to the point. When I read the last page, I was surprised because I thought there would be more to the story. I felt as though there was no plot to this book. I wouldn’t recommend this book. It would be a good book for children who have difficulty listening to long books.

[Sophonie Joseph-Canel · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an adult I can understand and comprehend the meaning the meaning behind this book but if I were a child I would not find this book enjoyable. First I do not like the illustrations in this book they are a little outdated and lacking in color. The book was just not exciting I didn’t like that they couldn’t make up their minds and that is not a great attribute to teach children.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cow, Pig, and Duck are playing in the mud, when along comes Mrs. Wishy-Washy. "Oh lovely mud", think the three friends. But Mrs. Wishy-Washy says, "Just Look at you!" and washes them clean: wishy-washy, wishy-washy. But what do you think happens the moment Mrs. Wishy-Washy turns her back on this mud-loving trio? Better have a scrub brush ready!

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This engaging story shares how Mrs. Wishy-Washy loves to keep her animals clean, but they prefer playing in the mud and getting messy. I think this book would be great to teach sequencing and build my future student's prediction skills. Additonally, it would be a great way to introduce discussions about hygiene and cleanliness.​

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cow, a pig, and a duck all thoroughly enjoyed a nearby mud puddle. When Mrs. Wishy-Washy saw them covered in mud she gave them each a scrub clean in the bathtub. As soon as she went into the house… away they went again.
Funny story and illustrations. This board book is a fun and easy read for early readers.

[Amy Buthelezi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute, simple story for toddlers. It introduces concepts such as repetitive phrases, onomatopoeia, and alliteration. This book could be useful when starting a conversation about hand-washing and bathing. I also enjoyed the colorful, humorous illustrations.

[Bethany Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a book for young children. The illustrations and text are very simple, to the point, and easy to follow. It is still a good read though. I like the plot of the animals getting dirty, being washed, and then getting dirty all over again. What a cute, silly story.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it's a simple book, the story is easy to read for toddlers. I really don't know what to say about this book except the animals really likes the mud puddle. And I guess children can learn the names of the 3 animals.

[Morgan Renouf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a story for younger children. The pictures are very plain and there are few words. I didn't technically enjoy this story but this book can definitely be used to talk about animals and have the children guess what is going on in the pictures.

[Kierra Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Wishy Washy, is a fun book for children to read and have fun with. When children are outside it’s most likely they will get dirty. It’s a book where it’s okay to get dirty and then parents will want to wash them.

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and simple story. Mrs Wishy Washy has some farm animals that love the mud, can she keep them clean? The repetition of wishy washy throughout is fun for language play with toddlers and preschoolers.

[Darrie McCain Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute book. with the children I would discuss the different animals and ask them if they think they will stay clean. This book is good it has colors and talks about animals that love being in mud. The book is actually funny because Mrs Wishy Washy thinks she can keep them clean.

[Abz Bdeir · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the first book i ever read in my life.my teacher Mis natoulli gave it it to me my parents were happy and my mum danced when i read it

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

PreK 3 and 4

[Magaly Almario · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book for infants and young toddlers about hygiene. Cute way to tell the story using animals which is something kids like. The illustrations are simple but very well done.

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book it’s because all the animals jumped into the mud

[Haylieboyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Wisy Washy is a great book for young kids I think this book would be great for farm week for children that are in daycare!

[Anthony Ledford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book. Good for talking about cause and effect.

[Roland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightful retelling of the myth of Sisyphus.