26. Amelia Bedelia

Title: Amelia Bedelia
Author: Peggy Parish
Illustrator: Fritz Siebel
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Copyright Date: 1963
Number of Pages: 64
Reading Level: 7+
Genre: Comedy/I Can Read

Summary
Amelia Bedelia doesn’t quite understand instructions. Amelia Bedelia has just been hired to a new job and on her first day her employers, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, have to leave for the day. They leave a list of all the things they expect to be done by the time they get home. Amelia sets off to work and decides she’s going to make them a surprise, a lemon meringue pie! Once the pie is in the oven Amelia looks over the list of things to do. She is baffled by the silliness of the list but thinks these rich people sure are silly. The list says to change the towels, so she cuts them up. The list says to dust the furniture, so she uses dusting powder to dust the furniture. The list says to draw the drapes, so Amelia begins making a drawing of the drapes. The list says to put the lights out, so she hangs each bulb out on the clothes line. Amelia remembers the pie and runs to the kitchen and finds her pie cooked to perfection. Next on the list is measure out two cups of rice. Amelia stacks two teacups filled with rice and measures them with measuring tape and pours the rice back in the box when she’s done. Now Amelia must trim the steak and dress the chicken. Amelia uses lace and ribbon to trim the steak and decides the chicken should be a boy and dresses him in little overalls and socks. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers return and find everything turned upside down, the best towels are cut up, dust everywhere, sun fading the furniture, light bulbs out on the line, and the meats all dressed up. The only thing that keeps Mrs. Rogers from firing Amelia is the bite of lemon meringue pie that Mr. Rogers pushes into her mouth. Next time she’ll make the list more specific, like un-dust the furniture.

Recommendation
I just think that little kids should read this no matter boy or girl. Its so funny that she takes everything wrong and I think they’ll get a kick out of it.

Problems/Conflict
No problems.

My Reaction
This book is ridiculous and I love it. We had to do book projects in first grade and I did mine on this and I had everyone dress a paper chicken. I thought I was hilarious. I just think that this is a fun book and should be shared. I would want to talk with a child after they read this and ask, “What else could we have Amelia do that she might get mixed up?”