BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL

BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL by Robery McCloskey

The season of blueberries is upon us. When I can get up in the dewy mornings and go out and stand in the middle of the bushes and eat to my heart's content, it is time to reach for a classic, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. I have been reading this book aloud to my kids since Claire was a toddler. I think we both loved the sound Little Sal's blueberries made as they hit her tin pail only to be whisked out again and eaten. Oh the summers we spent at the berry farm before my own bushes were bearing! I would put the baby on a blanket up under the bushes out of the sun with some toys to play with, pass out baskets to the rest of the kids, and pick away. Blueberries hold precious memories for me! The end page pictures of Sal on a chair playing at the kitchen table while her mother cans the berries for winter are the perfect ending thought!

Alongside Activity- Go berry picking if possible! There is nothing like sweet fresh berries to snack on, top your cereal with, make a pie or cobbler, etc. If not possible, buy some and snack away as you read Blueberries for Sal! With July 4th coming up, if you are feeling extra adventurous, I like to make Barefoot Contessa's Flag Cake decorated with blueberries and raspberries. I don't pipe the extra icing on. I let the berries be my decorations. It is delicious!