Laundry Day5stars

 

 

Laundry Day introduces new readers to new cultures

By Maurie J. Manning

Clarion Books, $16.99, 32 pages

Laundry Day by Maurie J. Manning is a beautifully illustrated, easy-read children’s comic book that takes place in New York City on Laundry day. A young boy is having little luck with his shoe-shine business, when he is distracted by a lovely piece of red cloth falling from the sky. It has come from somewhere in the high apartment building.  The boy loses no time climbing up the building and asking each tenant if the cloth belongs to them. Throughout the journey, the boy meets people from around the world and gets to learn a little about each group. He and his trusty feline friend, share mooncake with an old Chinese woman, hear music from an Italian troubadour, and even share some soup with a Yiddish couple.

The boy represents excellent character as he makes new friends; he refuses to sell a cloth that is not his, and is helpful to each person he meets along the way. Laundry Day, and the beautiful images, are an excellent illustration of diversity to children at a young age. The back of the book even includes a “Laundry List of Words to Know” featuring words from each character, a pronunciation guide, origin and definitions to help both young readers and their parents learn about new cultures.

Reviewed By Sophie Sestero

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