Frozen Antlers and Cold Snorts

This week the PK children talked about Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Christmas written by Joy Cowley and illustrated by Elizabeth Fuller. I met Joy several years back when she was my mentor at the week-long Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua. She was as delightful as Mrs. Wishy-Washy!

Katherine:  I like when all the snow was down. I like when they all didn't want to go in the tub. I like the part when she poured the cold water in the tub. I like the part when Mrs. Wishy-Washy went away and they went upstairs to take a bath. I like the part when he's [the duck] standing on [the edge of the bathtub] right there. I like the part when they got in the tub with the pink bubbles. I like the part when she came back and she yelled. I like the part when they're in the living room with the presents. I like the part when she brought all the animals in the living room. I like the part when she picked the duck up. I like the part when she gave them presents and she ate some treats with the duck. And I like the part when she shared the cookies with them. It was a fun story.

Acadia: I like this part. They're taking a bath -- a duck, a pig and a cow. I didn't know if Wishy-Washy liked that. She said, "Don't go in the bathtub again!"

Summer: She cleans the pig and the cow and the duck. The animals went up the upstairs bath because it was too cold in the outside tub. The duck has bubbles on his head. She screamed because they weren't in the outside tub. She took the presents and she give them back to Santa.

Camryn: The cow and the pig and the duck were cold in the tub 'cause they were in the snow. They got mud all over the floor. They take a bath in the bathroom. The cow jumped in the tub. Wishy-Washy screamed 'cause she saw mud all over the floor. The pig and the duck and the goose and the cow did it.

Kaitlyn:  She was trying to wash the pig and cow and duck in the cold water. They had a plan and then they got in the bathtub. And they scrubbed and they made bubbles. She came home and it was a mess. There was a Christmas tree and they standed at it. She said, "Don't ever do it in the bathtub 'cause they would get all fur in it."  She was not that mad, and then she said, "You can get into other." And she made cookies.

Eva:  Mrs. Wishy-Washy said, "Time for a bath!" The animals yelled, "No! No!" Because they didn't want a bath because it was too cold. The water turned into ice. The duck said, "I have a good idea!" They opened the door and got mud all over the floor. They went to the bathroom. It has cream and shampoo and it also has bubbles. And then they scrubbed in bubbles and shampoo. Mrs. Wishy-Washy said, "Someone's using my bathroom!" She said, "I know!" Then she found them and their faces nodded. She was going to take away their presents, but then she said, "Okay." She gave all them presents. She put her Santa hat on and gave all them presents. And she made cookies for them.

Mack:  I think when the snow was falling down on the barn and the animals gotta get clean and they were too cold to get in the bathtub. And the duck had an idea and they were doing something that they weren't supposed to do. And they were going in her bathtub room. She said, "Someone was using my bathtub room!" And the animals were nodding their heads, and that was my favorite part.

Christel: It's snowing, and I really like snow. The animals were getting covered with snow. They were freezing! The duck said, "Oh, no! My beak's going to get cold!" Then Mrs. Wishy-Washy poured a big bucket of water, and the duck said, "Oh, no!" My beak's going to get covered in rain!" And then the pig said, "Oh, no! My snort is going to get covered in cold ice!" And then the cow said, "Oh, my antlers are going to be freezing cold covered in ex-ice." That's ice that will freeze you. But then they went upstairs to get a bath. "That is warm steam," said the duck. And then the cow jumped in and said, "That was good soap!" And then Mrs. Wishy-Washy ran to get the animals. And then they said, "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Wishy-Washy." And then they were happy to have a warm bath. The end.

Mikayla liked the illustration in which the animals are bathing in Mrs. Wishy-Washy's tub.

Brady L.: The duck had a good idea and the cow and the pig came in the bathtub. And then she screamed. And then she gave the duck a big hug.

Arthur: Mrs. Wishy-Washy wanted them to go in a cold, cold bath. They didn't want to go in there. They followed the duck and goed in Mrs. Wishy-Washy's bed. No! What is that thing? A tub! She [Mrs. Wishy-Washy] screamed like a fire alarm. I like this part with all the presents. The pig got shampoo, and this cow got a scrub with a rope on it, and the duck got a bar of soap.

John: I like when Mrs. Wishy-Washy came home and she said, "Tub thiefs!" And I like the picture when all the animals were near the tree and all the presents. And I like that the animals could kiss their presents goodbye because they thought that Mrs. Wishy-Washy was going to shake her finger and tell them to go back to the tub out in the snow and the cold. And I like when Mrs. Wishy-Washy made cookies. That's it!

Emelyn didn't feel like talking about books today.