It’s Monday, Mrs. Jolly Bones! by Warren Hanson, illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Mrs. Jolly Bones has specific tasks that she does each day of the week, but you will be surprised at how she works!  Monday is laundry day.  She starts normally enough with sorting the clothes, washing them, drying them, ironing them.  But then she flings them out the window and decorates the street!  On Tuesday it is gardening day and that one ends in a similar way.  Wednesday is cleaning day and my she works hard.  It all looks so normal until you find out where Mrs. Jolly Bones takes her bath.  The week continues on in this silly fashion with shopping on Thursday, baking day on Friday, friends over on Saturday, and resting on Sunday.  They are all done in surprising and striking fashion. 

Hanson has written a rhyming story that has just enough of a lilt and a rhythm to add to the silliness of the entire book.  This is a wild frolic of a book that needs that gentle sway and not more.  The humor is entirely over the top, much to my great joy.  Hanson takes jokes all the way, ending up with surprises and humor that will have children howling.  It is the type of book that simply must be shared.

Tusa’s illustrations have her signature style to them, resulting in a book where the humor is spot on and the pictures have a cheery, bright quality all their own.  They are done in subdued colors with primarily white backgrounds, making the action pop.

A kindred spirit to Amelia Bedelia, this humor doesn’t rely on wordplay so Mrs. Jolly Bones makes a great early friend for silly kids.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.