Tag Archives: John Burningham

Blueberries for Sal – Robert McCloskey

Blueberries for Sal is a wonderful classic children’s story. First published in 1948, it won the Caldecott Honor for author Robert McCloskey. Blueberries for Sal is the story of a little girl named Sal who goes blueberry picking with her mother. The mother wants to can the berries for the winter, and is very focused on getting her pail full of berries. The book has marvelous black and white illustrations showing an old-fashioned kitchen and canning jars, an old car, the mother in skirt and sweater, and little Sal in overalls. Little Sal follows her mother up a hillside. Sal … Continue reading →

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – Judith Viorst

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is another one of those classic books that I think every child should read. We all have bad days. Children and adults will laugh and empathize with Alexander’s day. Poor Alexander is a little boy who wakes up with gum in his hair, he trips on his skateboard, and drops his sweater in the sink all on the first page. At breakfast his brothers find prizes in their cereal boxes. All he finds is breakfast cereal. He announces that he thinks he’ll move to Australia. Alexander’s day keeps being terrible. … Continue reading →

Stone Soup – Marcia Brown

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Marcia Brown won a Caldecott Medal in 1947 for her version of an old French folktale, Stone Soup. This is a great story of ingenuity and cooperation. In the story, three soldiers are returning home from the wars. They are tired and haven’t had any food for two days. They come upon a village and ask for food. But the peasants have seen them coming and have hidden everything. The peasants try to look hungry and offer up good reasons for not having any food, sick fathers, poor harvests, and grain that must be kept for seed. The soldiers announce … Continue reading →

The Tom and Pippo Books – Helen Oxenbury

There are some books I can’t imagine raising children without. They are favorites of school teachers, parents, and librarians. I thought I would start sharing a few of these classic books here. The Tom and Pippo books by Helen Oxenbury are charming books for toddlers and preschoolers. Tom is a young boy and Pippo is his stuffed monkey friend. Tom’s parents are portrayed as caring and involved. The titles come in nice sturdy thick page books that hold up to lots of toddler mishandling. The illustrations featuring Tom and Pippo and their adventures are simple, but sweet and very appropriate … Continue reading →

The Snowy Day – Ezra Jack Keats

I know other parts of the country are seeing signs of spring, but here in Colorado we can expect another couple months of snow. I want to share one of my favorite books about snow with you. The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats, received the Caldecott Award in 1963. I remember the book from my own childhood. The illustrations are unique. One of Keats techniques was to blend collage with gouache (an opaque watercolor mixed with art gum. His illustrations capture the magic of how snow can transform a neighborhood into beauty, softness, and mystery. Keats set new ground … Continue reading →

Mr. Gumpy’s Outing – John Burningham

Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham is a classic children’s picture book. My own children laughed with every reading. The book won the 1971 ALA Notable Children’s Book award, the 1972 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 1971, and the 1970 Kate Greenaway Medal. Mr. Gumpy is an English gentleman. He owns a boat, and his house is by a river. One day he goes out in his boat. A boy and girl ask if they can come for a ride. Mr. Gumpy says they can, as long as they don’t squabble. A rabbit … Continue reading →