A Two-in-One Wonder Book
By Patti Simon
Pictures by Alison Cummings
Copyright 1952
This little vintage picture book depicts a young girl who
all day long follows her Mommy around, helping her with all the household
chores. Most of their time is apparently
spent cleaning the house and going grocery shopping, except for the occasional
hair washing day. Then, after picking
flowers and reading, just like Mommy the little girl stands and waits for Daddy
to come home.
Meanwhile, a little boy spends a weekend day following Daddy
around. Together, they do yard work,
fish, hammer and paint, wash the car, and when Mommy tells them it’s time for
lunch, they both come running.
Written over sixty years ago, this book portrays some strong
gender stereotypes that for most families are no longer accurate. My first thought when reading this book was “How
ridiculous. Can’t Daddy do the dishes? Can’t
Mommy wash the car?” After thinking
about it, though, there is an important lesson here for adults. Children are always watching us and will
mimic what we do. We are setting an
example that will be followed – so be careful how you spend your time!
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