15 // Blueberries for Sal / Robert McCloskey

Blueberries for Sal written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey

• Puffin Books

• 1948

• Sal goes blueberry picking with her mother and gets mixed up with another child out picking berries that day.

• Preschool-Kindergarten - Summertime activities, Animal babies.

• Oh Sal. *happy sigh* Ok. Critical thoughts, Sarah! I love the detail McCloskey gives his drawings. I could spend 15 minutes on just the opening spread before the title page of Sal and her mother in the kitchen canning. This is a real-life kitchen. There's towel racks, open cabinet doors, sweet, chubby little Sal "helping" by stringing canning rings on her wooden spoon. I love the first illustration as the text opens, that shows Sal and Mother looking directly at the "camera" - which is kind of surprising, honestly! McCloskey captures ordinary people in ordinary life in a way that sparkles. The text is true to life as well, with no frills. There's something very satisfying in saying "Kuplink, Kuplank, Kuplunk" with the berries dropped into the bucket. Children would quickly catch on to that refrain. Both Sal and the little bear get lost, but never are we *worried* for them. They are brave resourceful little fellows, and as they find their ways back to their respective mothers, its giving children following along a sense of confidence. They are taking a safe, calculated risk along with Sal, but problem solving, figuring it out as they go, and in the end all is well!