First published in 1963, this is the book that started the beloved franchise. Written by Peggy Parish, illustrated by Fritz Siebel.
Amelia Bedelia is a hapless literalist with a bit of a lacking vocabulary. But none of that stops her from working hard, making darn good pies and being lovable! When my oldest two were small, they used to giggle every time at the “dressed” chicken.
For any teachers: This book contains some words and phrases that are very dated or close to out of use today. It could be a great lesson for expanding vocabulary and/or extrapolating meaning from context.
Some questions to ask after reading:
What does “dressing the chicken” actually mean? Do any of your parents ever “dress” chickens?
What is “dusting powder”?
Mrs. Rogers meant for Amelia Bedelia to cut the fat off the steak by using the word “trim.” What does “trim” mean to Amelia? Are there any other meanings for the word “trim”?
If Mrs. Rogers were to ask you to draw the drapes, would you have done what Amelia Bedelia did? What does “draw” mean to Mrs. Rogers?
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