Laundry Day by Jessixa Bagley (review)

Badger brothers Tic and Tac have burned through their usual amusements, and since they have a long day and a lot of energy left, helping their mother with laundry sounds better than boredom. She goes off to market and leaves the guys with clean, damp clothes and a bucket of clothespins, and they have the laundry hung out to dry in no time at all. Now what? Well, there’s a whole cottage full of items that can be pegged on a line, and, stringing more twine from tree to tree, they soon have all their possessions hanging out in the sun. That’s an appealing though limited plot, but the real fun is in watching un-hangables get clipped onto individual sections of line, witnessing the full effect of the enormous yard in its criss-crossed glory when Ma comes home, and giggling over Tic and Tac’s “punishment,” as Ma hangs them up by the seat of their pants. Adults facing the prospect of repeat readings might consider making a game of hunting for specific items in the humorous watercolor spreads. And, happily, there is underwear.