Mrs. Wishy-Washy facts for kids

Mrs. Wishy-Washy is a much-loved character from children's books. She was created by Joy Cowley, an author from New Zealand. The pictures in the books were drawn by Elizabeth Ann Fuller. Since the first book came out in 1980, over 40 million copies have been sold around the world!

Mrs. Wishy-Washy has appeared in 20 short stories for young readers. She is often seen with her farm friends: Cow, Duck, and Pig. Sometimes, her husband, Mr. Wishy-Washy, also appears. He is usually shown washing dishes. Mrs. Wishy-Washy loves things to be clean. She often tries to keep her animal friends from getting dirty, but they usually end up in the mud! Her most famous saying is, "Oh, lovely mud!"

Why Mrs. Wishy-Washy is Popular

The Mrs. Wishy-Washy stories were written to help children who find reading a bit tricky. They use a special style called "rhyme, rhythm, and repetition." This means words sound similar, the story has a musical flow, and some phrases are repeated often.

This style is very good for helping young readers. It helps them learn to sound out words. This makes their vocabulary bigger and makes reading more fun. In 2006, a group called the National Institute for Early Education Research said Mrs. Wishy-Washy was a great learning tool. They used it to show how important it is for young children to learn to read early. Also, the first book was named one of the "10 Best Books to Read with your Toddler" by Traci Geiser from Education.com.

How Teachers Use Mrs. Wishy-Washy Stories

Children really like Mrs. Wishy-Washy. Because of this, teachers often use her stories in their classrooms. They create lesson plans, make Halloween costumes, and do other fun activities. Each book even has a "Teacher's Notes" section. Here, Joy Cowley gives ideas on how to use the book to help children who are struggling with reading.

Teachers can use the books to teach about story mapping. This helps kids understand how a story is put together. They also learn about story elements, like characters and setting. High-frequency words, which are words used very often, are also taught. Often, teachers or children dress up as characters from the story. This makes learning more exciting. Class plays featuring Mrs. Wishy-Washy are also common. These plays give children a first chance to act, tell stories, and speak in front of others.

Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Rules for Cleanliness

Mrs. Wishy-Washy has some simple rules she tries to live by:

1. Be Clean
2. Be Neat
3. Look Tidy
4. Smell Sweet

Books in the Mrs. Wishy-Washy Series

Over the years, many Mrs. Wishy-Washy books have been published. Here are some of them:

• Wishy-Washy Day (1993)
• Splishy-Sploshy (1997)
• The Scrubbing Machine (1998)
• Dishy-Washy (1998)
• Mrs. Wishy-Washy bath Tub (1998)
• Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Farm (2001)
• Mud Walk (2002)
• Mr. Wishy-Washy (2003) (This was a new version of Dishy-Washy)
• Mrs. Wishy-Washy Makes a Splash (2003)
• Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Splishy-Sploshy (2005) (This was a new version of Splishy-Sploshy)
• The Hole in the Tub (2005)
• Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Scrubbing Machine (2005) (This was a new version of The Scrubbing Machine)
• Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Christmas (2005)