The Man Who Didn't Wash His Dishes

by Phyllis Krasilovsky and Barbara Cooney

Book Overview

About this Scholastic Blue Ribbon Book: If you don't wash your dishes and you don't wash you dishes and you don't wash your dishes AND you don't wash your dishes...one day you might have to use a soap... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0590446789
• ISBN13: 9780590446785
• Release Date: January 1977
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Profoundly satisfying and ageless story

If you (or your child) ever lined up all your cars in a line, if you ever enjoyed putting things inside a box and taking them out again, if you ever liked seeing things in your room all neat and tidy, you will find this book deeply satisfying and comforting, even into adult years. I read this book many, many years ago and never forgot it, and when my son was old enough I sought it out again. Will never be outdated!

Still around after all these years

This book was the only souvenir that my mom took home from the magical and mysterious world of TEACHING before us kids were born. It was our favorite, and our copy stamped with "New York City Board of Education" must have caused her to loose her voice on occasion - from reading out loud, over and over.Everything was done just right: The story has a brilliant sence of rythm. It progresses with just the correct amount of repetition, and introduction of humor. The illustrations are wonderful and warm. I am an illustrator by profession, and was flabergasted when the book was returned to me after years of exile with my younger cousins. The artwork was as beautiful to my adult eyes as it was 45 years ago. ( My earliest efforts at book illustration are still evident in crayon on the inside of the front cover.)I now live abroad, and English is my childrens' somewhat challenging, second language. Never-the-less, they were always happy to hear read this lovely story

Age doesn't matter

This book is about a man who lived alone in a little house who had to do his own cooking. After eating his supper, he would always put his dishes away. Then one night he was just too tried so he said he would do them the next night. This goes on, and on, and pretty soon, all of his dishes, all of his pots, all of his flowerpots, his ashtrays, his candy dish, and even his soap dish, were dirty and he had nowhere to sit or even sleep! Then one day it began to rain and the man brought all of his dishes out side and they were all clean. From that day forward he washed his dishes every night after supper no matter how tired he was. Even though this book is over 50 years old, I still enjoyed reading it. The illustrations are very cute and the story is funny. The children in my 2nd grade class love this book which shows that how old a book is doesn?t really matter. The author of this book is telling a funny story but also conveying the message that it is easier to do things right he first time then to procrastinate and have to do it all at once.

Great Book-A Keeper!

I am a preschool teacher and used to check this book out all the time from the Tulsa library. ...I love this adorable, charming book and have many times related the story to fellow teachers! Children are totally fixated on the story as it is being read. The story is about a man who was too tired to do his dishes, with each passing day getting worse!Soon he has only a clay pot to eat out of. How the story ends is absolutely clever...

A Classic then, a classic now...

While growing up in the 60's, this book was always one of my favorites. We had it in a collection of children's books entitled "Best in Children's Books" 1958, Nelson Doubleday, Inc. Although we were always taught to take care of our books, this one is very tattered from being read over and over. The story is about a man who lived alone in a little house who had to do his own cooking. After eating his supper, he would be too tired to do the dishes, so he'd put them off to do them the next day. This goes on, and on, and pretty soon, all of his dishes, all of his pots, all of his flowerpots, his ashtrays, his candy dish, and even his soap dish, were dirty to the extent that he couldn't even find his chair, or his bed! Then a miracle happened, and from then on, he cleaned up his dishes after every meal. I feel this book teaches a child to do a job right, and do it in a timely fashion. If you do little jobs before they become big jobs, they are much easier to handle. We read this book at least once a week to our childen, and it has become a favorite of theirs too.