Laundry Day

Laundry Day written and illustrated by Jessixa Bagley
Rating: 5 stars

Two badger brothers star in Laundry Day, a new picture book written and illustrated by Jessixa Bagley. Two badger brothers  start the book with a statement brothers (and sisters!) have been saying since the beginning of time: "I'm bored."

They're complaining to their mother--the receiver of all complaints since the beginning of time. They inform her they've already read all the books (and then again backwards), built a fort (and invaded it), and caught all the fish (and let the fish go). So, she does what this mother would do. She invites them to do a chore.

"Would you like to help me hang the laundry?" asks Ma Badger.

They've not done that! And yes, they would!

She shows them how and they hop right to it. Then she leaves to go to the market (I love this "picture book magic" that leaves the two of them parent-less and unsupervised) with the two badger brothers pinning shirts and sheets and socks and skirts. They are busy. They are happy.

Until they get to the problem of the story: they run out of clothes. And twine.

"TIC AND TAC! What have you done?!" she hollered.

No matter! They've got more twine! One badger brother strings some up, while another runs inside. They gather anything and everything their badger brother hands can find: aprons and mugs and spatulas from the kitchen, maps and framed pictures and a toy boat from the den, a toilet seat and tissue box and scissors from the bathroom.

These two brothers string up more twine so they can hang up more stuff. And this made me and Kiefer, two happy readers, chuckle as we paused to look at each silly item hung up to dry.

You can imagine Ma Badger's reaction. So, she does what this mother would do. She adds them to the line!

This is a cute and silly and all-round-great new picture book where the words and story are good but the pictures are spot-on and perfect. It invites you to sit down with the same book again and again and possibly find one new things these mischievous badger brothers strung up on the line together.