Blueberries for Sal

July is National Blueberry Month!

If any fruit deserves its own special month of honorable recognition, this little blue beauty certainly does. Native to North America, blueberries are grown in 35 out of the 50 states which means that the United States supplies roughly 95% of the entire world's crop!  With flavors ranging from puckery tart to mildly sweet, blueberries are in their prime in the month of July.  And as they are full of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants, they definitely make the healthy food list.

My little darling Emmy has an aversion to certain textures in food and blueberries are not often her fruit of choice.  However, when given the opportunity to pick her own, Emmy is much more likely to try new fruits. Fortunately for us, there are many farms in our area that offer pick-your-own so blueberry picking is one of our summer traditions.  

Before Emmy and I head out to our favorite local farm (Cider Hill Farm) to pick our own blueberries, we read Robert McCloskey's book Blueberries for Sal. This story is a classic as it has been enjoyed by generations of children and is still popular today. The endearing illustrations, rendered in dark blue ink reminiscent of the stain made by blueberries, was recognized with a Caldecott Honor in 1949.

McCloskey tells two stories side-by-side in this book, one of a little girl named Sal and her mother, who are picking wild blueberries to can for the winter, and another of a little bear cub and his mother, who are eating wild blueberries to prepare for winter hibernation. Sal's and Little Bear's paths eventually cross and then each follows the wrong mother around Blueberry Hill.  When I share this book with Emmy, her favorite part of the story is always the sound that the berries make when they hit Sal's small tin bucket "kuplink, kuplnak, kuplunk!" This sound is what makes Little Bear's mother aware that her bear cub is not behind her.  

                                                 

Something else that I enjoy about this story is its old fashioned concepts.  Emmy and I talked at length about the end papers of the book that showed a 1940's kitchen and the process of canning fruit.  I know that there are those that continue the tradition of canning in their home, but it is not something that is recognizable in Emmy's or my life.  

After reading the story, Emmy and I were definitely craving a fresh pail of blueberries of our own so off we went to the farm on a very hot day!  

         

Emmy was thrilled with the picking, but sad that the bucket we received at the farm didn't make the same sound as Sal's tin bucket.  She did eat quite a few berries right off of the bush, but there was no convincing her that this should be a favorite fruit.  As for me, I ate many more berries than what I added to the bucket!  Overall, the pick-your-own experience was a great time for both us and one that we will repeat.

When Emmy was younger, we very much enjoyed watching many of our favorite picture books come to life through the Scholastic Video Collection.  If you have the opportunity, look for the DVD Make Way for Ducklings...and More Robert McCloskey Stories.  Included are the stories Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal, Time of Wonder, Lentil and Burt Dow, Deep Water Man.  Although not animated as the other stories in the DVD series, the narration and music makes it a nice addition to the classic McCloskey stories.  

Emmy and I are such HUGE fans of Robert McCloskey and we hope that his post inspires others to pick up his books and read them.  We have a wonderful treasury of McCloskey classics titled Make Way for McCloskey - A Robert McCloskey Treasury that has 8 complete stories, including Blueberries for Sal, with an introduction by Leonard S. Marcus as well as photographs and original drawings by the author.

If you would like more of McCloskey, then check out our review of another one of his classics Make Way for Ducklings.  Also, look for One Morning in Maine which is considered to be a sequel to Blueberries for Sal.

To continue to inspire all things blueberry, Emmy and I would also recommend the following books:

Blueberries Grow on a Bush by Mari Schuh

  

Blueberry Mouse by Alice Low

More Blueberries by Susan Musgrave

Peter in Blueberry Land by Elsa Beskow

And if you have any blueberries left after picking, there are many delicious treats that can be made, but since Emmy loves putting syrup on her pancakes and waffles (of course freshly picked blueberries can be added to these as well), I thought we might try this simple recipe for Blueberry Syrup!

1/2 cup sugar                      1/4 cup water

1/4 cup light corn syrup     1 tbs cornstarch

2 tsp lemon juice                2 cups of blueberries

Stir together all ingredients in a large microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on full power 5 minutes. Stir and serve warm.  

Blueberry Deliciousness!

Thank You Bear

Both Emmy and I are excited to share the book, Thank You Bear, with you! It is written and illustrated by Greg Foley. We feel a kinship with Mr. Foley because he grew up in Austin, Texas.

Thank You Bear is the gentle story of a bear who finds a treasure that he thinks will be perfect for his friend Mouse. It goes along with the old saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure." as Bear finds great value in the object, but begins to feel differently as he shows it to some of his other animal friends.

"On his way to find Mouse,
he showed it to the monkey.
Monkey said, "That's not so great."
He showed it to the owl.
Owl said, "I've seen those before."

Foley's illustrations are so soft and serene. They are a pleasure to look at. Emmy noticed right away, through Bear's face and posture, that he was becoming discouraged by his friend's words. We think all children can relate to Bear as he sits wondering if his treasure is so great after all. Our lives can be full of discouraging words, but as often happens, someone comes along to give us the encouragement that we need as Mouse did for Bear.

"Then Mouse crawled inside the empty box and said,
"It's the greatest thing ever!"

Foley makes the reader wonder about the contents of the box, but it is on this page that it is discovered that the treasure is the box itself and is the perfect snugly place for Mouse.

After reading this book many times, Emmy found her little mouse, her special bear and a tissue box and started to act out the story. I made copies of the other animals in the story to add to her retelling. Here are the props:And here is Emmy acting out the story Thank You Bear:



Foley has written two more books about Bear that Emmy and I are excited to read. Both sound perfect for Springtime!

Don't Worry Bear

Good Luck Bear

Britta Teckentrup

Emmy and I are so excited to share an author and illustrator that we just discovered - Britta Teckentrup. She is certainly not new to children's books having illustrated quite a few books for other authors as well as a popular concept series for toddlers (colors, shapes, ABC, first words).

But the book that made Emmy stop in her tracks and say "Read this one, Mommy!" was Big Smelly Bear. As we sat down to read the book, Emmy was immediately fascinated wanting to know what was flying around the bear and why he was smelly. My intuition as a Mommy and a teacher was telling me that this book was going to be a winner! With graphic illustrations that are beautifully simple, the reader is drawn into the storyline of a bear who is perfectly happy being smelly until he starts to itch! This is Emmy's favorite part of the story as Big Smelly Bear tries to find something to help with this terrible itch. "He tried scratching his back with a tree branch. But that made the itch even itchier." Along comes Big Fluffy Bear who persuades Big Smelly Bear to take a bath. The interaction between the two bears is hysterical as it reminds me of myself persuading Emmy that it is time to take a bath. Maybe I'll try the Big Smelly Emmy tactic next time!

Teckentrup follows up Big Smelly Bear with How Big is the World? and Grumpy Cat.
Emmy noticed that Grumpy Cat ended similarly to Big Smelly Bear where both characters decide to make a change for the better...or do they? Watching the kitten befriend the cat is just precious. My favorite of the three selections is How Big is the World? If I could enter the mind of a very young child, I think that this question would sum up the wonderment of all that surrounds her. A piece of advice that I hold very close to my heart is to remember that Emmy has only been in this world for three years. Expectations are so overwhelming at 42, I can't imagine what it must feel like at the age of three. I just want Emmy to relish every moment! A lesson that I desperately need to learn.

I would also like to mention that Britta Teckentrup has another spectacular series out that I will introduce to Emmy soon. There are three so far with my first choice being Big Noisy Book of Vehicles since Emmy is so curious about planes, trains and automobiles.
I love the way the book is layed out with bright, bold and beautiful images. It reminds me of the Richard Scarry book Cars and Trucks and Things That Go only a bit more organized. Each colorful spread features a different environment and the forms of transport that zip through it, from bicycles on the sidewalk to rockets in outer space. The text is simply irresistible to read aloud, with plenty of honks, clatter-clanks, and creak-squeaks to call out. And making it extra-wonderful is the inclusion of an animated DVD packaged right into the front cover. The DVD lasts fifteen minutes, has over 100 sound effects, and captures Britta’s subtle humor and childlike sense of play. If vehicles aren't your thing, look for the other two books in the series: Big Noisy Book of Animals and Big Noisy Book of Dinosaurs.

Corduroy

On our latest trip to the bookstore, Emmy found a large board book version of Corduroy on the shelf. I was instantly taken back to my childhood! I LOVE it when I get to share a classic book with Emmy. I believe this book appealed to her because she loves wearing overalls and was curious about a bear wearing a pair. This reminded me of how important a child's interest is when selecting a new book.



Emmy is so proud
of her overalls.




With Corduroy and a few other books in hand, Emmy and I found a comfortable spot on the floor and started reading. I am continually amazed at the concentration Emmy will give to a book and Corduroy certainly held her attention. Have you ever dreamed of being locked in a department store at night? Corduroy paints a picture of the adventures that might unfold (for a teddy bear at least) in such a situation. Emmy's favorite page is when Corduroy accidently steps onto the escalator. "Could this be a mountain?" he wondered. "I think I've always wanted to climb a mountain." Since Emmy likes riding the escalator at the mall, we have another connection from real life to storybook.


Emmy is almost always
surrounded by a stack of books!




The author of Corduroy, Don Freeman, is an icon in the world of children's literature. Thankfully, his son, Roy, created a website that honors the full body of Don's work. This site is truly a testament to this man's character and influence on others. I am always intrigued to find out where authors get their ideas for books and will often share these insights with Emmy. She giggles when I tell her that the name “Corduroy” was a pet name that the author had for his son because when the boy was very young he used to wear corduroy overalls all the time. Sharing this sort of information with children allows them to see the person behind the book.

Corduroy is perhaps the best-loved bear in children's books and for good reason. With his simplicity and childlike emotion, this loveable bear is a friend for all ages. Corduroy is a great example of a book that can be passed down from generation to generation and never grow old.

Don Freeman

Don Freeman once told an audience interested in writing, illustrating and publishing children's books, “Simplicity is the essence of children’s book stories, not simple mindedness.” What an important message in this day and age of books penned after television shows and celebrity authors creating less space on the bookshelves.

Bear Snores On

It was over a year ago when Emmy and I checked the book Bear Snores On out of the public library. I remembered how enjoyable it was to read this book to a group of second graders, but wasn't sure about an almost two year old. Well, the book was such a hit that we checked it out again several times and then finally purchased it along with the second book in the series Bear Wants More. Both of these books are currently back in the read aloud rotation at our house and, I must say, are even more fun since Emmy is really connecting to the stories.

The author, Karma Wilson, brilliantly writes this series of books completely in rhyme only stopping to repeat a key phrase such as "But the bear snores on." and "But the bear wants more!" Each book gives lots of opportunities to expand the read aloud experience by creating funny voices and exaggerating words like growl, squeak, blubber and Emmy's favorite "RAAAAA - CHOO OOOO!!!!" which follows the text "Hare stokes the fire. Mouse seasons stew. Then a small pepper flake makes the bear..."









And just as important to the book reading experience are the magnificent illustrations drawn by Jane Chapman - WOW! Each character is alive with personality and charm. You really feel like you could just walk right into the pictures and join in all of the fun.

For Christmas, Emmy received Bear Stays Up For Christmas and once again we found ourselves joyfully immersed in Bear's world. We will slowly add the other three books in the series to our home library and look forward to the next Bear book!

Karma Wilson has a great website so if you'd like to find out more about her and the other books she's written for children, check it out here!

From birth to 2 1/2 years old

Before I start with Emmy's Book of the Day, I wanted to take a moment to record some of her reading adventures up to this point. When Emmy was a baby, many of our outings were to local bookstores where she and I would scour the bookshelves looking at all of the wonderful books to read. I remember a time early on when Emmy sat on her knees and methodically pulled every book off of one of the shelves. I did not stop her. I only watched and as I did I witnessed a gleam in her eye that some may have mistaken for mischievousness, but I saw the beginnings of an avid reader (we did put the books back on the shelf). We progressed from pulling books down to finding corners in the children's book section to sit in where we could quietly read together and in so doing we could imagine what the characters were thinking and feeling. At times, we had to get up and move the way the book character(s) might have moved - like when we read Going On A Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury. This book was made to move! With gorgeous illustrations switching from black and white to color and wonderful sound effects (Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy!) we just couldn't resist. Nowadays, I watch as my daughter chooses books and reads on her own. An absolutely amazing sight!

Some of our favorite books through the years (well two and a half years - so far):
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathman
Go Dog Go! by P.D. Eastman
Hands Can by Cheryl Willis Hudson
Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora
I Went Walking by Sue Williams
Chicka, Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Trains by Byron Barton
Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley
Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins
Gossie by Olivier Dunrea
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
Olivia by Ian Falconer

And so many more!