Wake-Up Call: Mary Smith by Andrea U'Ren

What did people do back in the day when there were no clock radios or wake-up calls to get them up and out on the job?

Andrea U'ren's quaint picture book answers that question in the true tale of Mary Smith, who has the Victorian job of "Knocker Up," a person who literally goes about in the early hours of the morning, knocking on the doors or windows of workers who need to be roused for their day's work.

Mary Smith, whose actual photograph appears in the book's Historical Notes, rises before dawn to wake her clients in her own way, by using her deadly-aimed peashooter at their windows with a Tock or Plik Plok to start their day with a bang. Mary is a equal-opportunity knocker up, waking fishmongers, washerwomen, and the Lord Mayor with equally well-placed shots. "Without you," the Mayor gratefully admits, "everyone would still be sleeping in bed. No one would be working, and I wouldn't have a town to run!"

When Mary returns home breathless after her morning's duty, however, she finds her own daughter apparently still asleep in bed. The shame of it--the knocker-up's own girl not up and at school on time! Then her daughter tells the tale of how she emulated her mum at school, shooting a dried pea at an errant schoolmate sleeping at her desk and hitting the teacher, Miss Pinchett, by mistake. Sent home in disgrace, Mary's girl decides she might as well finish out her forty winks in her own bed.

The story ends with Mary unleashing a volley of expertly directed peas at her daughter with a good-natured "We really must work on YOUR aim!"

U'ren's picturesque Victorian illustrations of the ample heroine of Mary Smith (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards)) making her way down the colorful English streets with her trusty wake-up weapon are charming, and the surprise twist at the end is sure to bring a whoop of laughter to its readers.