Amelia Bedelia Ties the Knot

Herman Parish's Amelia Bedelia Ties the Knot is a funny family story for 6 year olds about a wedding and a girl who takes every word exactly as it's said.

What happens

Amelia Bedelia comes home from school to find Aunt Mary in the kitchen. Aunt Mary has a huge sparkly diamond ring on her finger and a secret she's bursting to share. Amelia Bedelia already knows (her cousin Jason told her) and decides to have a bit of fun first.

The man in question is Bob, who Amelia Bedelia knows as the Metal Man because he's always on the beach with his metal detector. He proposed at sunset, with the ring hidden in an old bottle he'd dug up from the sand.

When Dad asks if Bob "popped the question", Amelia Bedelia wants to know how you pop a question. That turns into a brilliant game for the engagement party. Every question for the happy couple goes inside a balloon, and Amelia Bedelia slips in a few of her own. (Does Bob always wear that baseball cap? She really wants to know.)

Then it's off to find a dress. A bridal shop sounds to Amelia Bedelia like something for horses. Grandma has opinions. Aunt Wanda has more. And when someone mentions that Aunt Mary once eloped, Amelia Bedelia is completely lost. What antelope?

The jokes land on two levels, which makes this a good one to share. Children will giggle at the mix-ups. Grown-ups will enjoy the parents' teasing, like the fifth C of choosing a diamond (the chequebook).

It isn't all laughs. Partway through, the family see Bob leaving a café with another woman, and nobody says a word in the car. It's a real wobble, and Amelia Bedelia handles it the way a lot of children would. She goes sailing with her friend Pearl, who teaches her to tie a knot with one hand.

If you've got a reader who loves wordplay, or who's got a family wedding coming up, this is lovely. The big, busy family is a big part of the fun.

What to read next

If they want more seaside days with Aunt Mary and Jason, Amelia Bedelia Sets Sail starts with the whole family stuck in traffic on the way to the beach, and Amelia Bedelia asking "'Cause why?" about the causeway.