Amelia Bedelia's Family Album

From Publishers Weekly Amelia Bedelia and her misunderstandings have entertained children for years; now readers can meet Amelia's relatives, who are just as wacky as she is. For beginners, Amelia's mother is a loafer (she makes bread), her father is a telephone operator (he repairs phones), her cousin is a boxer (he makes boxes) and her nephew is a catcher (he catches mumps, measles, etc.). Mr. and Mrs. Rogers listen attentively to Amelia Bedelia's family lore, and insist that she invite everybody to the party. With her usual literal-mindedness, Amelia Bedelia misinterprets "everybody," and the party is more inclusive than the Rogerses had intended. Parish and Sweat have produced a radiant look at everyone's favorite maid. But while the illustrations are sprinkled wth humor, the text itself is a bit flat and somewhat repetitive for older readers. Those just beginning to read by themselves will love this; and all readers will be happy to discover that Amelia Bedelia is not one of a kind. Ages 8-up. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 1-3 Mr. and Mrs. Rogers want to have a party for Amelia Bedelia. The three pore through Amelia's family album to select the guests, while Amelia Bedelia tells what each family member does. Each description, of course, is open to gross misinterpretation as Amelia gives each occupation its own special twist. Her cousin, a boxer, packs boxes; Aunt Mary, a bank teller, tells people in the bank where to go; her cousin Chester is a printer who can't use ``proper writing''; and her bookkeeper cousin keeps books instead of returning them. While this is not as clever or funny as some of the other Amelia Bedelia books, and some of the jokes will fall flat, the exploration of the nonsense and absurdity to be found in learning the English language probably will continue its appeal for early readers. Sweat's cheerful cartoon watercolors faithfully interpret Parish's text, and add the necessary information for understanding Amelia's descriptions. Leda Schubert, Vermont Department of Education, MontpelierCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.