Please tell me that there is a Make Way for Ducklings tour in Boston. I especially would like to see the corner book store and the police phone box that are featured in Robert McCloskey's timeless picture book.
At very nearly three years old, she loves these books now and sits through them regularly.
Blueberries for Sal would be the exception. Jill has been sitting through this tale for quite awhile and it is definitely filled with intense drama.
Maybe it's just me, but if I mislaid a child and saw bears in the area, I would have a complete freak out. Not so with Sal's mama who is based on McCloskey's wife. Yes, you guessed it, McCloskey's eldest daughter is named Sally and was the inspiration for the precocious Sal.
I think the end pages in Blueberries for Sal might be my all-time favorite McCloskey illustrations. Sal is spot on, but if I were canning blueberries (which are in season in August around here) I'd be sweating profusely, and I'd ditch the long sleeves. It must be much cooler in Maine.
I recently realized out that One Morning in Maine is about the same Sal and her little sister, Jane (Jane happens to be the name and inspiration of McCloskey's younger daughter).
Imagine living on the coast and sending your spouse to go "dig up some clams for our lunch, honey."
Again, Sal has a near-death experience (almost falling into the ocean where there are SEALS!), and no one finds out about it.
On second thought, forget the clams. Sometimes, it's okay to be landlocked.
Jill loves the big-sisterly-ness in One Morning in Maine, though she is quite nervous about losing her teeth.
Edmund is about to begin Homer Price. I read it...what...thirty years ago, and have no memory of it, but it's part of the Beyond Five In A Row curriculum that we are dabbling in.
He is very near the end of Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children (Yesterday's Classics) which he got for Christmas from his Nana. This version of Robinson Crusoe isn't really abridged, just adapted.
Edmund has been fascinated from the get-go. His love of survivor stories and wilderness adventures is sated by this edition of the age-old classic.
He recently wrote a paper on "Why I Would Not Want to Be Robinson Crusoe" which focused mainly on loneliness and the absence of family, but I was surprised at how concerned he is by the lack of medical care. He is convinced that Robinson should have died from illness or injury by now.
Yes, it is actually considerably cooler in Maine...even in August. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd, I loved Blueberries for Sal and One Maine morning when I was a kid! My kids really love all the Robert Closkly books.... We don't own them, but we've gotten them out of the library several times and they are always a hit. There is just something so wonderful about stories that involve children and near-death experiences to stir the adventuresome spirit in you.
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ReplyDeleteWe have One Morning in Maine in our library bag now, and it only reinforces my bucket list item of a summer vacay on some wild stretch of the Maine coast. I love living vicariously through Sal's mom...foraging for blueberries with fellow absentee mama bears, whipping up fresh clam chowder while hubby is rowing across the bay for milk...I would not last a day, but it's sure fun to read about :)
ReplyDelete"Would not last a day" EXACTLY! The only clams I have ever had in my kitchen came out of a can. I don't even know what I would do with a real live clam. Blueberries, I can handle blueberries.
DeleteIf you're looking for Maine vacay inspiration, you must read The Penderwicks at Point Mouette. It's loaded with PIE!
DeleteI'm a big James Baldwin fan for his ability to bring big characters and stories to a younger audience. I'll have to look for Robinson Crusoe. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of him before! I'll have to check out his other re-tellings.
DeleteSame in our house; 'Blueberries' always gets their complete attention, Morning in Maine and Make way for Ducklings less often but I haven't tried in awhile.
ReplyDeleteYes I believe there is a tour ~ or rather it is part of the tour of the Public Garden.
I'm pretty sure the only McCloskey book we've read is Blueberries for Sal! I'm slightly embarrassed at that oversight in my children's upbringing! The others look so charming!
ReplyDeleteI love McCloskey's books! When I was student teaching in a preschool classroom (in which the teacher pretty much read only trendy modern books), I read the class Make Way for Ducklings and it was an instant favorite. You have to look hard for picture books that great.
ReplyDeleteYes, there is a Ducklings tour in Boston.
Yes, it is much cooler in Maine at Blueberry time.
Yes, digging clams for lunch along the New England coast is quite doable. (But you have to have a license now...of course. The Lord hath given and the government hath demanded money for it.)
Lastly, Homer Price remains one of my favorite "comfort reads." It's hilarious and beautifully illustrated and so relaxing to fall into. I hope Edmund enjoys it!
I had no idea there was a sequel of sorts to Blueberries for Sal. I am going to go find Morning in Maine right now! I love Sal and those lovely ducklings. I think that is going to be our afternoon book/activity. (We'll read then make blueberry muffins.)
ReplyDeleteLooks like a lot of people are McCloskey fans! They are a summer favorite over here, too. My oldest likes the James Baldwin books. We got a great deal on the kindle package at Yesterday's Classics. It's like 225 kindle books for under $100. Every once in a while, the price is lowered to under $50. Worth the price either way.
ReplyDeleteBlueberries for Sal is one of my all-time favorite kids books. I think it ranks in the top 5. Make Way for Ducklings is great too, but doesn't rank quite as high. I'm sad to say I haven't read the others. Must find.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the Robinson Crusoe adaptation. Normally I eschew the ones that seem dumbed down, because I'd rather my kids just waited until they could understand the real thing. But you think it's good?
Hi, I loved these classics as a child. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletei really do love your wwrw series. and i love robert mccloskey! thanks for all the literature inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your reviews of children's books and their illustrations. I was going to say, "Boy, I wish I still had someone to read these great books to"--but then I remembered, I DO! I'll get to read all of your recommended books to my three granddaughters (and the many cousins I hope they'll have someday).
ReplyDeleteYay to grandmother's reading to little ones! I hope there will always be little ones in my life.
Delete'One Morning in Maine' is a childhood favorite of mine. And, as a Mainer born and bred myself, I can tell you, McCloskey's depictions of the Maine coast and people are Spot. On. Now that I am a mom, reading these books to my boys, I realize that Sal & Jane's mother is basically...Rockstar Mamma Extroidinaire. She is so put together and smooth and unfussed. I would like to be like her when I grow up.
ReplyDeleteThat picture of Sal and Jane's mother up there? All I can think is "beatific." Like if Our Lady was making blueberry jam with toddler Jesus, this is what she would look like.
DeleteAnd if you look this up on amazon or wherever: Corduroy and Other Bear Stories (Panama / Blueberries for Sal) (1989), you can see an adorable Corduroy story (live, not animated, super cute), and a retelling of "Blueberries for Sal", plus a funny story called "Panama". THAT was one of our favorite family videos.
ReplyDeleteI think they had long sleeves on to pick, but I agree - I live in Washington, which I assume has similar weather as Maine, and I can blueberries in short sleeves.
ReplyDeleteI adore "Blueberries for Sal" and blueberries in general.