Yes, this book has been around FOREVER, but please bear with me. I chose to review it because, 1. a great experience inspired me, and, 2. I may be able to introduce the book to readers (youngsters!) who aren’t familiar with it. Plus, 3. I’d like to ask your opinions on a gift related to the book. Read on:
Who can resist Robert McCloskey’s Caldecott Honor classic tale of Sal and her mother, picking blueberries to can for the winter?! Originally written in 1948, the story features a mother and daughter said to be modelled after the author’s wife and daughter. Other McCloskey books in our library include Make Way for Ducklings, One Morning in Maine and Lentil. He also illustrated the Homer Price series for middle readers.
In Blueberries for Sal, Sal drops her blueberries into her tin pail – “ker-plink, ker-plank, ker-plunk!”, she pulls them out and eats them, then begins collecting again – “ker-plink, ker-plank, ker-plunk!” High on Blueberry Hill, deep in Maine, Sal and her mother head in opposite directions around a large bush.
Sal and her mother are not alone; a mother bear and her cub are also visiting Blueberry Hill, to prepare for winter by filling up with berries. They too head in opposite directions around the bush.
Mother spots the cub, the mother bear spots Sal, and there are happy surprises. The encounter isn’t frightening to the characters, simply startling. The children are reunited with their own mothers, and the afternoon winds down.
We were inspired to re-read this favorite after a blueberry-picking excursion today. (For those of you in New England, this week and next are peak season; we visited Blueberry Bay Farm, about an hour north of Boston). We used plastic pails, so instead of “ker-plink, ker-plank, ker-plunk”, I just heard my 3-year-old “little man” saying “mmm, mmm, mmm” (a yummy sound!) as he sampled the berries.
We have a new neighbor, and I thought a gift of homemade blueberry cobbler and a copy of Blueberries for Sal would be an appropriate way to welcome the family to the neighborhood. I like to give books for new baby gifts, and they’re perfect for the “big brother” or “big sister” in the family as well. I tend to not give books to my adult friends and family (unless I know a specific title that interests them), because I find it much more risky than buying for kids. Who do you give books to? For a special occasions, or “just because”?
I owned and operated a daycare of about 15 years, (wanted to stay with my kids and working as a nurse wasn’t going to allow that!) I used to give my daycare moms and dads a copy of Robert Munsch’s Love you Forever, for our first Christmas. I just loved that book and used to read it to my own kids and my lil daycare munchkins all the time.
Also loved the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series! And Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, There’s a Monster at the End of the Book….of boy….now you’ve got me started….Not Now Bernard, Thomas’ Snowsuit…..
GREAT post, Dawn. I had forgotten how much I loved this book until you shared it again. I think your idea is fabulous – I know *I* would love to be greeted to the neighborhood that way (and I don’t even have kids!).
I don’t buy a ton of books as gifts because it is hard to know what to get people. But, there are a few close friends who are my bookie friends and for them I always know what they’d like; and yes, I buy them books for gifts. I also like to give out Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift certificates to my nieces and nephew…although with Amazon they can chose a lot more than just books!
Your neighbor should really enjoy that. I have not really purchased books for anyone unless they’ve mentioned a specific title beforehand. I am the one that always asks for books for the annual Christmas exchange and I am always given a strange look. For kids, I opt for a bookstore gift card along with a bookmark. This tends to go over well.
Kelly – thank you for reminding me of some of our other favorites! We don’t own *Love You Forever* or *Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs*, but we check them out of the library often. My 3-yr-old Little Man actually tells me that the weather looks “cloudy with a chance of meatballs!” *The Monster at the End of the Book* is the one about Grover, right? We have that one; I picked it up at a book sale, remembering it from when I was a kid!
Wendy – bookstore gift cards are a big hit around here! In fact, I took my 10-yr-old Little Man for a “date” Saturday night, which included a stop at B&N. Funny story about that, which I’ll blog about later in the week; look for a post titled “Something for a Rainy Day” (or similar)
Ti – yes, it’s a great idea to include a bookmark! I’m always after the kids to not leave the book “open and upside down” to hold the place; they’ll use anything that’s around – a dollar bill, mail, another book!
Excellent review, brought back so many memories of reading this book when I was a kid. I’m gonna have to now go look for it in the store and give a copy to my sister so she can read it to her three boys. Some things are just classics.
We have never read this one! Will have to check it out from the library! Lovely review.
This is one of Maggie’s favorite books. We have a mulberry bush and a strawberry patch, and I never expect her to come in with anything other than a full stomach
I love the idea of giving a gift and tying a book in with it.
Children’s book reader – It is so true about revisiting the classics! When our first nieces and nephews were born we sought out the books we remembered!!
bookroomreviews – yes, check it out. I think you’ll like it.
koolaidmom – mulberry and strawberry – yum! I smell a mixed-berry pie in your future.
Blueberries For Sal IS a great book! One quirky thing about this book one should know is that right now the McCloskey estate is renegotiating the rights with the publisher and as a result it is temporarily (we hope!) unavailable.
This has been quite a frustration for booksellers, particularly in New England where the book is a big summertime hit.
—Jill
Jill – interesting about the current status of *Blueberries for Sal* … yes, let’s hope it’s a very temporary condition!
We were down the Cape last weekend and friends reminded me about *Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man*; I hope all McCloskey’s books will continue to be available.