Staff Review: "Wild Berries" by Julie Flett

Life is made up of a continuous movement of small, everyday activities. It's easy to find these little tasks dull and repetitive, but they can be so full of meaning, especially to a child. It takes a poet's eye for detail to bring out the beauty in these simple things. "Wild Berries" by Julie Flett quietly celebrates the seasonal trip of Clarence and his grandma to pick blueberries in the woods.

"Grandma likes sweet blueberries/ininimina, soft blueberries, juicy blueberries. Clarence likes big blueberries, sour blueberries, blueberries that go P O P in his mouth."

Flett's simple prose describes what the boy and grandmother see and experience, sprinkling in a few words of Cree. Her simple illustrations perfectly match the text and highlight the quiet loveliness of each moment in subdued shades, always with a pop of red. At the end is a Cree pronunciation guide and a recipe for delicious blueberry jam. What a fun activity it would be to read the book  with your little one (along with "Blueberries for Sal," of course!) and make some jam together! For ages 4-8.

--Andrea W., Headquarters