Amelia Bedelia (book)

Before you even open me, you can feel the fun hiding inside my covers. I am made of paper and ink, but I am filled with surprises and silly mix-ups. When you turn my pages, you’ll see a kind lady in a maid’s uniform with a big, friendly smile and lots of flowers on her hat. You’ll read words that make you giggle, and maybe even scratch your head and think, 'Wait a minute.'. That’s because I tell the story of someone who takes everything you say… very, very literally. She is sweet and wants to help, but her funny mistakes lead to big adventures. I am the book, Amelia Bedelia.

I came to life in the year 1963. A wonderful writer named Peggy Parish had an idea for a character who was helpful but got into all sorts of trouble because words are tricky. She imagined Amelia Bedelia being asked to 'dust the furniture,' and instead of wiping the dust off, she would put sweet-smelling dusting powder on everything. Peggy wrote down all of Amelia Bedelia’s funny adventures. Then, an artist named Fritz Siebel drew her for the very first time. He gave her that cheerful face and her special uniform with the flowery hat. Together, Peggy and Fritz put me together, page by page. They wanted to create a book that would make children laugh out loud and see how much fun language can be. When I was first placed on a bookshelf in 1963, children discovered that reading about Amelia Bedelia 'drawing the drapes' meant she was sketching them with a pencil, not closing the curtains to block the sun.

For many, many years, children have opened my cover to read about Amelia Bedelia’s latest mix-up and her delicious lemon meringue pie that always makes everything better. I became so loved that many more books were created to share her new adventures, even after Peggy Parish was gone. Her nephew, Herman Parish, kept the stories going so new friends could meet her. I matter because I show how words can mean more than one thing, and that it’s okay to make mistakes, especially when they lead to a good laugh. I love sitting on bookshelves in homes, schools, and libraries, waiting for a new friend to discover the joy of a funny story. I hope I remind you that reading is an adventure, and that a little bit of silliness makes the world a brighter place.