Lizzie and her doll, Amelia Cordelia, were supposed to be home having a doll tea party with her friend Lucy, but Lizzie’s mom is about to have a baby so Lizzie is spending the day with Grandma instead. “Are you ready for work, Lizzie girl?” She and Grandma are doing the wash: hoisting the copper boiler full of steaming water, sorting the clothes, scrubbing them on the washboard with lye soap, rinsing and running them through the ringer, and then hanging them up to dry. But Lizzie can’t stop thinking longingly about the snickerdoodles she and Ma made for the tea party that’s no longer happening … or is it? Delightful, child–friendly details ground a warm story featuring wonderful, authentic interactions between Lizzie and her Grandma while offering a fascinating look at doing laundry long ago. (Ages 5–8)

It is washday. "Are you ready for work, Lizzie girl?" Grandma asks. "I am," Lizzie replies. It's hard for her to set aside her plans for a tea party, but she rolls up her sleeves. Together, Lizzie and Grandma haul the steaming washtub to the workbench and shave lye soap into the boiling water. They rub, rub, rub the clothes over the washboard, pull them through the wringer, and hang them out to dry. In the end, the satisfaction of a job well done, an unexpected guest, and a loving gesture make Lizzie's washday just about perfect.