Rating: 
Summary: Blueberries For Sal
Review: I attend West Virginia State College. My name is Mary Cook and I am taking a children's literature class. The book would be appropiate for preschool children. The blue and white drawings give you the thought of blueberries. The book teaches sequencing of events and comparing events to small children.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful story with both spunk and kindness
Review: I loved this book as a child because I saw myself in Sal who was curious and spunky and had a serious independent streak. She was and is what is called a Tom Boy. And like Sal and her Mom, my Mom and Aunt Ann would take me with them to pick blueberries or what we call huckleberries here in the west coast, and on the hillsides of Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier, Mt Shasta etc.Knowing that we saw black bears and always had to be prepared if cubs were around, made this story "real" to me. And I love stories where the girl isn't a whimp, but is allowed to be herself and is shown doing both normal activities but activities that show a more rural or self sufficent idea. I also like the story because it is a great Mother and daughter tale and shows that even the human animal like the bear and her cub, have such caring personalities. Oh and I also indetified with the eat more berries than you pick theme. Unless someone has tasted a sweet freshly picked blueberry or strawberry etc they have no idea how wonderful the taste and smell is and that you really cannot stop at just one. I wonder how many parents who have taken the kids along to pick berries have done so knowing that the kid will probably not produce much fruit for canning or baking, and may even come home with a tummy ache. But that it is a great outing and make for great memories.
Rating:
Summary: good classic
Review: I was skeptical about the McCloskey classics and have to admit was surprised when my 26-month-old really enjoyed the book. It's simple and easy to follow - the text and story are perfectly suitable for a read-a-loud for 2 year olds. Also the simple but easy to follow drawings engaged his interest and were a nice alternative to the flashy and elaborate colorful pictures usually found in children's picture books and a great simple alternative to our flashy fast-paced media culture. I also thought it was a great opportunity to help develop attention span. The length and complexity of the text was just the right level of challenge - beyond what he was used to hearing but he didn't tune out because the story line itself was one he felt he could understand or at least figure out. I'm finding all of McCloskey's books great for word choice. Most of the words are within our 2 1/2 year old's range but there are always some that are quite new and challenging so I'm glad that the text isn't dumbed down. It gives him exposure to more and unusual words that he's not likely to come across in everyday conversational language. Additionally, the comprehensible story line and the pictures can provide the support that he needs to be able to figure out the meanings of some of the novel words. So actually, I thought this was an excellent book for transitioning to more challenging text and more detailed story lines, which 3 months later at 29 months, he has done - now he's listening to "Make Way for Ducklings", another great and more complex McCloskey book for the toddler/preschool crowd. From a diversity viewpoint, it's important to be ever so slightly cautious. The book was written in the 1940s and it reflects the gender, race and class stereotypes of the time but not to an extent that makes it objectionable as long as it is only one of a few of such books in the child's collection. The story itself is very, very cute and a good book about respecting other animals and seeing them as having feelings and needs as well as humans. Because there's a sequel with an older Sal, it's also a great opportunity to introduce the child to the concept of a continuing story (which they will encounter at a later age in chapter books and series).
Rating:
Summary: An adorable classic adventure story
Review: It's a classic case of mistaken identity when, while on a hunt for blueberries, two very different mommies and two very different children get separated and all mixed up. Or are they really that different? With McCloskey's incredible eye for natural detail from a child's point of view, this story tells a hilarious tale about a human mother and child (the eponymous Sal) who go blueberry hunting and run into their bear counterparts, who are storing up food for hibernation. Not only are the sound effects hilarious (my son loves to chant the KERPLINK! KERPLANK! KERPLUNK! part along with me) the story also teaches a lot about comparing and contrasting characteristics in the natural world, and the striking and original blue-and-white illustrations make this book unique. Your preschooler is sure to delight in it, and your first grader is still going to love it and be able to draw more sophisticated comparisons and conclusions from the story. Sure to be a bedtime favorite for many years - it has been in my househould!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Symmetry of Nature, Family, and Nurture!
Review: Little Sal and her mother go to Blueberry hill to pick berries, and they plan to can them as preserves for the winter. Little Sal soons starts eating all the berries she picks, plus some from her mother's pail. Encouraged to go off to find berries to pick by herself, mother and Sal become separated. On the other side of the mountain, Little Bear and his mother are coming to eat all the blueberries they can to get as fat as possible so they can survive the winter. They, too, get separated. Soon, Little Sal stumbles onto following mother bear and Little Bear is following Sal's mother. Eventually, the mothers discover the mistake, back away in shyness from the other's child, and look for their own offspring. Along the way, the children run into bird mothers and their families as well. Everyone goes home with the correct mother, and the last drawing has Little Sal with her mother in an old-fashioned kitchen with a wood stove working on the preserves. The story is gently and beautifully told, and wonderfully complemented by the illustrations (also drawn by Mr. McClosky). It is a good introduction for children to the way that all human and animal families work, the need to prepare for the future, and that one has to pay attention to where one is going. It will also interest them in blueberry picking, which is a wonderful family occupation. It is also very heart-warming the way Mr. McClosky has taken the potential fright out of a situation where a child has wandered off and run into a mother bear. The child can draw her or his own lesson that they would not want that to happen to them, rather than having the story provide terror. Mr. McClosky has expressed a benign but significant role to nature that will serve families well. I wonder if he ever visited the Galapagos, because the animals there and the people act much like in this story. Overcome your disbelief stalls about how children can learn from stories with this outstanding book. I rate it one of my top five of all time for younger children. It was a favorite of all four of our children. I hope it will be for you and your children and grandchildren, as well. Think of this story the next time you eat some blueberry preserves.
Rating:
Summary: A Family Adventure in Blueberries-Caldecott Award Winner
Review: McCloskey wrote this about his wife Margaret (daughter of author Ruth Sawyer Durnad) and daughter Sally encountering a mother bear and cub while picking blueberries on Deer Isle. The story has some funny turns when both mother and child get separated and wind up finding the wrong family member. Imagine that! Well, all's well that ends well. And, guess you wondered what happened in the end don't you? You'll have to see for yourself. McCloskey sadly passed away on June 30, 2003 most of his life he illustrated and wrote children's books. He wrote eight books during his life. All the book reflect on family experiences, small-town life, and life in Boston. His story, 'Make Way for Ducklings' is set in Boston. McCloskey is one of the few authors that depicted Americana in a light-hearted vision through his illustration. He will be sadly missed. 'Blueberries for Sal' won the Caldecott award for children's book illustration. It's a darn good story to boot, too!
Rating:
Summary: A memoriable afternoon shared by all.
Review: Mothers everywhere look forward to a sunny day spent on a hillside picking berries with their offspring. Many adventures have been shared by families that set out to spend a few quiet moments between parent and child. Here is an opportunity to stimulate the imagination of a child with the wonder of exploration.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful romp through the woods...
Review: My daughters and I love this book. I've been a fan of McCloskey since I was a kid myself, and I was pleased to be able to find this book re-released for my own children. It's a classic, and one that belongs on the shelf of any parent with wee ones.
The story is simple, two mothers (human and bear) take their children out berry picking, where the children wander off, and manage to switch places. The pictures are charming, the plot is lovely, the text suitable for a young reader to read themselves, or for younger ones to have read to them. All in all a wonderful children's classic, don't hesitate to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: A True Classic!
Review: My parents read it to me as a kid, and I continue to read it to my elementary class.
Rating:
Summary: A great classic
Review: My sisters and I used to borrow this from the library often as children, and I was pleased to discover it again and share it with my son. It's a neat story, and I'll always associate blueberries with Sal and the little bear.
| 
