Read Around Town: The Laundromat

In my Read Around Town series I'm highlighting picture books that celebrate the people and places in a young child's immediate community. These would work well for preschool classes or homeschool groups taking tours of local businesses, or for any child interested in learning about his or her neighborhood. Today's books are all related to doing the laundry and/or visiting the laundromat.

A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
When Lisa brings her stuffed bear, Corduroy, with her to the laundromat, he is meant to sit and wait for her, but instead he becomes fascinated by the concept of a pocket and wanders off to search for one for himself, winding up in a stranger's laundry bag.

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
On the way home from the laundromat, toddler Trixie becomes very upset as she tries to communicate to her dad that her beloved Knuffle Bunny has been left behind.

The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble
A little girl recounts the various exciting things that go wrong on her class trip to the farm, all of which can be traced back to classmate Jimmy's boa constrictor.

Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash by Sarah Weeks
In Mrs. McNosh's barrel of laundry, which she hangs out to dry every Monday, there are the usual shirts, pants, and stockings, as well as many strange items, including the newspaper, the dog, and the telephone.

Wishy-Washy Clothes by Joy Cowley
Mrs. Wishy-Washy hangs her clothes on the line. The cow, the pig, and the duck decide to wear the clothes. Though Mrs. Wishy-Washy seems angry at first, she can't help but laugh at how silly they all look.

Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara
When a witch must rid a haunted house of its ghosts, she washes and dries them and puts them to good use.

The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle by Beatrix Potter
A little girl named Lucie loses three handkerchiefs and a pinafore and is shocked when she learns they have been taken and washed by the animals' laundress, a hedgehog named Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.

Laundry Day by Maurie J. Manning
A young boy who shines shoes sees a red piece of cloth fall from a clothesline and goes around his neighborhood of diverse immigrants trying to find its rightful owner.

Washday by Eve Bunting
A young girl and her grandmother do the family's wash in the late 1800s, before the invention of washers and dryers.

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook
The articles hanging on clotheslines help readers identify the chosen jobs of their owners.

Doing laundry with your kids? Try some of these early literacy activities specifically for the washing machine.