A Blueberry Mix-up!

Robert McCloskey is an award winning children’s book author and illustrator whose famous works include Make Way for Ducklings, Lentil, Time of Wonder and Blueberries for Sal. Of all these, my son’s favorite and I guess, for a long time will be “Blueberries for Sal” and believe me when I say….if you’ve haven’t read this book to your little one yet, you are definitely missing out on something!

It is an endearing story of a little girl named Sal who sets out to pick blueberries with her mother to have them canned ahead of the harsh winter. As they begin picking blueberries on one side of the hill, Sal cannot resist munching on them instead, much to the chagrin of her mother. Meanwhile, a mother-baby pair of bears climbs the other side of the hill intending to eat as many blueberries as they can, before hibernating for the winter. You cant help wondering who has the better deal – the one who is required to collect blueberries to be canned later or the one who is required to eat them right away, both preparing for winter in their own way. Its no surprise that Abhay chose the latter! The story then has a comic mix-up when both Sal and the bear-cub end up following each other’s mother instead of their own! Abhay was amused at this jolly confusion and found the pleasant suspense of the story engaging. He even wanted blueberries, not to eat but to fill them up in a tin pail just like Sal. A perfect story to cuddle up with your little cub this winter season!