The weekly routine of Mrs. Jolly Bones is far from typical—but tons of fun!

It’s Monday, Mrs. Jolly Bones, there’s laundry to be done.
So gather up the dirty clothes and sort them one by one.
Wash them, dry them, iron them, and fold them nice and neat—
Then fling them out the window so they brighten up the street!

Mrs. Jolly Bones has a very busy week ahead of her—and a very unique style of doing her chores. Each day of the week brings a new thing to do. But with the help of her animal roommates, she’ll grocery shop, clean house, and garden, getting everything done just in time for a wrestling match with her best gal pals!

From bestselling picture book creators Warren Hanson and Tricia Tusa, here is a days-of-the-week story like no other.

About The Author

Photograph by Vera Matson

Warren Hanson

Warren Hanson is an artist, writer, speaker, and musician. He is the illustrator of Tom Hegg’s classic New York Times bestseller A Cup of Christmas Tea, as well as many other books for children. He lives with his wife in Houston, Texas. Visit him at WarrenHanson.com.

About The Illustrator

Photograph by a bird in a tree in the Luxembourg gardens in Paris.

Tricia Tusa

Tricia Tusa has illustrated numerous acclaimed picture books, including In a Blue Room by Jim Averbeck, Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden by Edith Pattou, and the New York Times bestsellers The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania of Jordan and Fred Stays with Me by Nancy Coffelt. She lives with her family in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Product Details

Publisher: Beach Lane Books (March 19, 2013)
Length: 32 pages
ISBN13: 9781442412293
Ages: 4 - 8
Lexile ® AD480L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

Raves and Reviews

“The small things add so much delight: Mrs. Jolly Bones has a menagerie of animals that surround/help her.
Amelia Bedelia may come to mind, but Mrs. Jolly Bones’ unconventional behavior reflects her originality and flair rather than a lack of intelligence; would that more people flaunt their individuality…but maybe not in the toilet.”

– Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2013

“It’s evident from Mrs. Jolly Bones’s billowing apron, unruly hair, and comfy slippers that she is not a conventional housekeeper. In fact, her views on domestic engineering are rather innovative. Tusa (A Meal of the Stars) draws her with cheerful, quirky lines and gives the drawings touches of soft watercolor…. Hanson’s (The Sea of Sleep) catchy verse depends on a predictable setup and a subversive punch line…. Mrs. Jolly Bones’s life is one of cheerful but determined rule breaking, and readers are guaranteed to laugh out loud at each gag.”

– Publishers Weekly, January 21, 2013

“Hanson’s supersilly story provides great material for an illustrator, and Tusa capitalizes on every opportunity with her joyful, signature watercolor-and-pen loose line drawings…. Most kids hate chores, so they’ll appreciate the housekeeping “skills” on display here.”

– Booklist, March 1, 2013

“A dry subject is made humorous by quirky Mrs. Jolly Bones and the way she organizes her week…. Mrs. Bones’s unexpected behavior will make young readers laugh. It also might make an association with the days of the week that will help children remember them. Ink and watercolor illustrations add lots of details and humor…. This charming picture book is great for a read-aloud about being silly and imaginative. What an engaging way to reinforce learning the days of the week.”

– School Library Journal, February 2013

"Monday is laundry day, Tuesday is for gardening, Wednesday is cleaning day, and so on through the week. Industrious Mrs. Jolly Bones tackles each job with gusto, her animal retinue eagerly pitching in. And who wouldn’t want to do housework with this cheerful crew?.... Hanson’s cheeky rhyming text expertly delivers each day’s punch line, and Tusa’s joyful watercolor and ink illustrations help set the pace and bring the story’s infectious silliness to a whole new level…. Mrs. Jolly Bones lives up to her name; her irreverent approach to chores is one kids will enthusiastically endorse (up for debate, perhaps: “step into the toilet bowl and give yourself a scrub”).”

– The Horn Book, March/April 2013

“In this rollicking ballad, Mrs. Jolly Bones is a woman who keeps a serious housekeeping schedule—in her own peculiar way…. Hanson writes with an appealingly larky joie de vivre; the combination of drudgery and absurdity is amusing, and the crisp scansion makes the verse dance…. Tusa’s scrabbly outlining and rich detailing expand on the text’s chaotic humor…. Kids will adore the transgressive joy of dutiful housekeeping gone silly; just don’t ask them to help clean up afterwards.”

– Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April 2013