Why Do I Have to Make My Bed? by Wade Bradford, illustrated by Johnanna van der Sterre Ages 4+ 32 pages Tricycle Press February 2011 Hardcover     A boy who has loaded up the dishwasher, dusted off his video games and picked up all his toys, balks at one last chore. He asks his mother that age-old question: “Why do I have to make my bed?” His complaint reminds his mother of a story about the boy’s grandmother, who asked the same question as a little girl. The book takes us back in time to 1953. The little girl, having washed and dried the dishes, dusted her rock ’n’ roll records and picked up her slinky and Hula hoops, demands to know why she has to make her bed. This reminds the girl’s mother of another near ancestor with the same question, and so on, until we have visited children performing their daily chores in colonial Virginia; on board a Pilgrim ship (“I even picked out the rats that were hiding in pickle barrel”); in a Viking home in 875 A.D.; in ancient Rome (“I unclogged the aqueducts”); and so on back to the time of cave dwellers (“Me hunt mammoth! Me dust stalagmites”). It turns out that mothers through time have known the perfect answer to children’s age-old question. This clever, creative, and informative book will have children doubled up with laughter with its hilarious descriptions of chores through time. The colorful, engaging illustrations by Johanna van der Sterre capture the playful spirit of the book while simultaneously conveying historical accuracy and detail. Why Do I Have to Make My Bed? is an excellent vehicle for teaching history and talking about children’s responsibilities within the family context. A list at the end of the book provides more information about children’s chores during different time periods. This delightful book succeeds on many levels—highly recommended!     web reviews   Usha Rao/2012 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)