Mr. and Mrs. Rogers can't be there for Amelia Bedelia's first day as their housekeeper, but leave her with a long list of things to do. Before setting to work, Amelia bakes her employers a lemon meringue pie--she makes good pies. Then she sets to work.

"Change the towels in the bathroom," Mrs. Rogers has written in script. "Those towels are very nice. Why change them?" Amelia asks, but takes a pair of scissors to alter the towels' appearance as she is (kind of) told. Then she sets the towels back on their dowel and moves on down the list. She takes each task literally, from drawing the drapes on a sketchpad, to putting the lights out… out in the yard. When Mrs. Rogers comes home, she is very angry indeed. But naïve, endearing Amelia is proud of her work, holding up her picture of the curtains for Mrs. Rogers to see.

Kids love pointing out Amelia's mistakes as she goes through each task. The Amelia Bedelia sequels are always welcome by fans of the first book, her character taking meanings very literally in every situation. Fun as a read aloud or a book that kids will learn to read with.


Themes: HOUSEKEEPERS AND MAIDS. HUMOROUS STORIES.