Mary Smith
“Mary Smith” by Andrea U’Ren, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) on August 13, 2003, is a 32-page children’s book that explores a unique aspect of early twentieth-century life in England. The story follows Mary Smith, a “knocker-up” who wakes townspeople for school and work using a peashooter to tap on their windows. Through engaging text and illustrations, U’Ren presents a lively depiction of Mary’s morning routine, highlighting the role of knocker-ups before the advent of alarm clocks.
Readers will discover the humorous challenges Mary faces as she helps her community rise and shine, only to find herself in a comical predicament upon returning home. The book combines elements of juvenile fiction with historical context, offering insights into a bygone era while entertaining young audiences. With its blend of humor and history, “Mary Smith” invites readers to reflect on the past in a lighthearted manner.
Official synopsis Publisher
Time to get up!
Did you ever wonder how people woke up in time for school
or work in the days before alarm clocks? In the early twentieth century, townspeople in England hired “knocker-ups” like Mary Smith for a few pence a week. Mary Smith traveled through predawn streets armed with a peashooter and a pocket watch, waking her clients at whatever hour they requested by plinking dried peas at their bedroom windows.
In rollicking words and pictures, Andrea U’Ren re-creates one busy morning in the life of her intrepid true-life subject – a morning when Mary Smith helps her town start its day in timely fashion, only to receive a rude awakening when she comes home. Could it be that the knocker-up’s own daughter has been sleeping in? Mary Smith is a 2004 Bank Street – Best Children’s Book of the Year.
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