In this timeless story from a time not so long ago, Annie and her sister help Mama with washing the clothes on Monday morning. From gathering and sorting the clothes, to washing and hanging them outside to dry, to folding and putting them away, the family works together to get the job done. "First we work and then we play." Mama smiles but walks with purpose to the porch. Tessa Blackham's warm, hand-painted cut-paper collages bring the reader to a time in the Midwest when doing the laundry was an all-day family chore.