Day 109: Blueberries for Sal

We're heading to Maine for a wedding tomorrow, so got several books on cd out of the library today for my son to listen to on our roadtrip.  And, since we're going to Maine, I thought Blueberries for Sal would be a perfect story to take along with us!  I just love Robert McCloskey's timeless tales that are so beautifully and masterfully crafted, and Blueberries for Sal is no exception.  You might remember little Sal from One Morning in Maine.  This time, she is venturing off to Blueberry Hill to collect blueberries with her mother.  Tin pail in hand, Sal picks blueberries the way I always did as a child (and still do, sometimes,) eating three handfuls for every one berry that ends up in the pail.  Her mother, of course, is focused on the task at hand, picking as many berries as possible so that she can preserve them for the winter months ahead.  Sal snacks while her mother picks, eventually wandering off toward the other side of the Blueberry Hill, where we meet another mother/child pair intent on eating their share of berries and storing up for the upcoming winter:  a mama bear and her cub!  In a clever juxtaposition of motherly love, nature, and young curiosity, we follow Sal and the little bear as they stray from their mothers in search of berries of their own, only to end up with the mother of the other.  McCloskey's drawings are fabulous, as always -- this is another Caldecott Honor book -- and capture the wonder of that summer afternoon perfectly.  I particularly love the illustration that appears on both the first and last page of Sal "helping" her mom can the berries in their kitchen.  I think Sal and my son must have a lot in common.  I also can't help but be reminded of the many summer days I have been fortunate to spend in my grandmother's Maine field, sitting down in the middle of a large clump of wild, low-bush berries, picking to my heart's content, dreaming of the pie that we'll later make and knowing that what we don't pick today, the deer might eat tonight.  As with One Morning in Maine and Make Way for Ducklings, McCloskey captures the  essence of a time gone by, forever preserving it for future generations.  Fall might have officially arrived here in New England, but this is one book that will remind us of the simple joys of summer all throughout the year. 

Day 77: One Morning In Maine

No trip to Maine is complete without reading a few Robert McCloskey books.  We arrived in Boothbay Harbor today, which is about as close to coastal perfection as any town gets.  What better book to share from such a glorious location than One Morning in Maine?  After all, the setting for this charming story couldn't be all that far from here.  I was so thrilled to find a copy of One Morning in Maine at our last local library book sale for only 50 cents.  I brought it home and wanted to read it to my son right away, though I was worried he might still be a bit young to fully appreciate it.  In some respects, he is – I think this wonderful story might be better suited for the kindergarten and elementary demographic – but he does seem to like it nonetheless.  One Morning in Maine is classic McCloskey:  beautifully illustrated in expressive detail, with a wonderfully descriptive story.  What I love most about One Morning in Maine is the way it captures the simple lifestyle of a time gone by.  I can’t help but imagine myself growing up the way Sal and her sister do on a beautiful, isolated Maine coastline, digging clams for lunch and having to take the motor boat across the bay to the general store for milk and groceries.  I also love the way McCloskey weaves subtle educational tidbits into his story along the way, such as that birds lose feathers only to have others grow in their place, much like Sal will when she loses her tooth.  One Morning in Maine tells the story of just that – one morning in Maine – in a way that is captivating, timeless, and beautifully simple.  It might just be a few hours, but that morning we spend with Sal and her family is one that we will remember and cherish for years to come.

Day 76: If You Give a Moose a Muffin

When we were packing up for our trip to Maine, we made sure to collect several of our favorite books about one of our all time favorite states.   If You Give a Moose a Muffin doesn’t necessarily take place here, but my son does always associate moose with Maine.  In fact, as we crossed over the Piscataqua River bridge and said, “Welcome to Maine!” he said, “Maybe we’ll see some moose in Maine!”  We did see a moose crossing sign or two, but despite keeping a very close eye out for moose in the woods, we have not seen any yet.  So for now, reading this story will have to do.  We’ve already featured another book in the If You Give series by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond back on Day 11, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, but this one is another favorite.  If you’re unfamiliar with these delightful books, we highly recommend that you check them out.  The illustrations are adorably clever, and the story lines about the silly animals and the havoc they innocently create throughout their days are wonderfully charming.  Do you know what happens if you give a moose a muffin?  He’ll want some jam to go with it, of course.  And then he’ll want more.  But watch out!  As innocent as it sounds, making more muffins will soon turn into making puppets, painting, and a slew of other creatively messy endeavors.  My son always finds these stories terrifically funny, and as a parent, I just love the way the beloved creatures zip from one activity to the next, exhausting their friends along the way.  I know our household can certainly relate!  We’ve read this story every night of our Maine vacation so far, and continue to keep a lookout for moose every day.  Maybe we’d have better luck if we made some muffins and blackberry jam.

Day 75: Goodnight Our World series

These adorable board books are a perfect way to introduce some of your favorite places to your little one.  My geography teacher self might be a bit biased towards these books, but I really think they are a great way to help teach children about the world and places around them.   There are over 30 titles to choose from in this series, many of which are based on various U.S. states or cities.  There are others that are more general, though, such as Goodnight World, Goodnight Lake, Goodnight Zoo and Goodnight Beach.  Each book brings its readers to various places in and around its title location throughout the course of a day, highlighting various landmarks and wildlife along the way.  The illustrations are colorful and cute but not too busy, making these stories appealing to even the youngest readers.  Whether they are about a place you or other family members call home or a favorite vacation spot, these books are a great way to reminisce about some of your favorite locations.  They are also great "preview" books:  if you're going someplace new, see if there is a Goodnight book about it.  It would be a great way to introduce that place to your child before you go!   I also find that even if we haven't gone anywhere special, it's nice to snuggle up and talk about all the fun things we did that day after we read these stories at bedtime.   For a complete list of available titles, you can visit the Goodnight Our World homepage at http://www.goodnightourworld.com/

Day 74: Counting Our Way to Maine

It's official… we leave tomorrow for our Maine vacation!  Maine is one of my favorite places on the entire planet, and I just can't wait to get there.   As the sign says when you cross the state border, it's "The way life should be!"  6 days on Long Lake followed by 3 days in Boothbay Harbor (over my birthday at the place where we got married) = vacation perfection.  Lobster, kayaking, listening to loons on the lake calling out at night, more lobster, the crisp ocean breeze...  Aaaahhhhhh......  For those of you who have been to Maine, you'll read this story and immediately want to go back.  If you haven't been to Maine, don't worry -- this is still a fun, summer story that will make you nostalgic for great family vacations of the past.  As its title implies, Counting Our Way to Maine is a counting book (it goes up to 20), but it's so much more than that.  Any parent who has ever packed up children and gone on a road trip is sure to appreciate Maggie Smith's delightful choice of events along the way.  "For our trip to Maine this summer we packed one baby, two dogs, and three bicycles... We had to stop for the bathroom six times!  When we were halfway there, we stopped again and ate seven ice creams."  The counting continues with sandcastles, lobster pots, buoys, clams, mosquito bites, and of course, blueberries!  The illustrations are detailed and charming, and we just love counting along with the family throughout their vacation.  Be sure to look at the illustrations inside the front and back covers, too, that recap all twenty highlights of the trip.  Time for me to get packing!  Maybe I'll start by putting this great story in our book bag.