Module 2: Blueberries for Sal

Summary:
Blueberries for Sal is the classic tale of a girl and her mother spending the day together picking blueberries. Most of the blueberries Sal picks end up in her mouth instead of being saved for the canning her mother has planned for them. Sal's mother tells her to go off and find her own berries. In the meantime, a mother bear stumbles upon little Sal and a little bear finds Sal's mother's blueberries. Each of the "babies" ends up being reunited with her own mother. In the end the bears have stored up enough berries for winter and Sal and her mother have enough berries for their canning.

Reference:
McCloskey, R. (1948). Blueberries for Sal. New York: Viking.

My impressions of the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. It seems as though it's from the "age of innocence." A mother could trust her young child out in the wilderness with wild bears roaming and not even think twice about it. When the mother first told her child to run along I couldn't believe it! The area they were in seemed too dangerous and rugged for a child to be left on their own. Besides the great story I also enjoyed the illustrations. The pictures are black and white, but have a way of conveying Sal's innocence.

Reviews:
Sharpe, W. (n.d) [Review of the book Blueberries for Sal]. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Blueberries-for-Sal.html
This humorous, entertaining book for preschoolers is an easygoing tale with just enough suspense to make it interesting. Robert McCloskey's text and illustrations blend perfectly with the mix of characters to tell a story that tickles the imagination. The full-page illustrations make it easy for children to understand the emotions of the characters.

The idea of a little girl and a bear cub each following the wrong mother appeals to preschoolers' sense of humor. But beyond the entertainment value, the story provides some lessons for children. Subtly showing the kinship of humans and animals, McCloskey closely parallels the stories of Little Bear and Sal. This is an excellent read-aloud.

Uses in the library setting:
This books might be a good one to read aloud with a cause and effect lesson or perhaps to feature an older book that won a Caldecott Honor.