Peggy Parish

Amelia Bedilia takes her orders quite literally. She wonders why she’s asked to dust the furniture when it really should be "undusted," or why it’s important to find the proper clothes to "dress the chicken." Readers will chuckle as they figure out the correct way for the bumbling maid to carry out her work.

Mr. and Mrs. Rogers leave their new maid, Amelia Bedelia, a list of things to do on her first day of work. For anyone else, changing the towels or dusting the furniture would have been quite straightforward — but not for Amelia Bedelia! Her lemon meringue pie, however, more than compensates for her failings caused only by her literal interpretations! Amelia Bedelia was launched 50 years ago, commemorated in this anniversary edition with a fascinating, brief but informative history, "The Story Behind the Story" included.