Perfect Picture Book Fridays are the creation of the lovely children’s book author Susanna Leonard Hill. Check in each week on Fridays for new book reviews. Susanna also has a complete list (alphabetically and by theme) of all the book reviews. It’s a wonderful resource if you’re looking for activities for a book, or books focused on a particular theme.
This is the second in my series reviewing books for very young children and babies. Our own copy of JAMBERRY by Bruce Degen is dog-eared but still going strong. Enjoy!
Title: Jamberry
Author/Illustrator: Bruce Degen
Publisher: HarperFestival
Year: 1983 (board book published 1995)
Genre: Board book/picture book
Ages: Infant-5
Themes: Adventure; Language Fun
Opening:
One berry/Two berry/Pick me a blueberry
Hatberry/Shoeberry/In my canoeberry
Under the bridge/And over the dam/Looking for berries/Berries for jam
Synopsis: (from publisher’s website) They’re off…a boy and an endearing, rhyme-spouting bear, who squires him through a fantastic world of berries. And their adventure comes to a razzamatazz finale under a starberry sky.
Children will want to feast again and again on Bruce Degen’s exuberant, colorful pictures and his rollicking, berryful rhymes.
What makes it great: The exuberant, playful, and inventive use of language, plus the richly detailed illustrations where you can always find something new to look at make this a delight to read over and over (and over and over).
What readers notice: My children always loved the moment when the bear and the boy tip their canoe down a waterfall of blueberries (a wordless spread) as well as the end, where the boy and bear end up buried in a mountain of berries.
What a writer notices: This story is really just a romp, but even still there is a clear purpose stated at the beginning (the characters are “Looking for berries/Berries for jam”) which is achieved at the end (“Mountains and fountains/Rain down on me/Buried in berries/What a jam jamboree!”). In this way, the author achieves a change in the characters from the start to the end of the story.
I also admire how he managed shift the lilt and rhythms of his text so that each section achieves a different feel, appropriate to the illustrations. For example, one section shows a train passing through a blackberry patch, and the text takes on the rhythm of a train:
Quickberry!/Quackberry!/Pick me a blackberry!
Trainberry/Trackberry/Clickety-clackberry
In the next section, the text swings and rolls just like the brass band shown in the illustration:
Raspberry/Jazzberry/Razzamatazzberry
Berryband/Merryband/Jamming in berryland
It’s subtle, but all adds to the delight of this story.
Activities/Links to Resources:
Counting, art, movement, and food-related activities: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/preschool-lesson-plans/66738-jamberry-book-activities-and-lesson-plan/
Art, cooking, movement, and science activities: http://www.gryphonhouse.com/activities/activityDetail.asp?ID=109&CatID=5
A recipe. I didn’t make it, but it looks delicious! http://offtheshelf.typepad.com/off-the-shelf/2012/06/whole-wheat-jamberry-crumble-bars.html%20
I had to teach with this book in kindergarten as it was part of the reading curriculum. I now own this book and used it with my son. BTW, I found the lullaby book you talked about last week in a library in Seoul! Go figure!
Wow, Tina, I’m amazed you were able to find it!
What an endearing book. When I saw the title I thought, mmm, this has to me for me…lol. Love the way how it rhymes and the play on words, just as beneficial a tool in learning to write poetry. Love its playfull cover. Thanks Carrie.
This book is a tour de force, I think! For starters, how can you not love a book called Jamberry? It’s just fun to say!
Thanks for adding this one to our list, Carrie – it’s about time someone did 
I know, I couldn’t believe it wasn’t already on the list. I’m so happy to be able to share it.
Looks like it’s jammed full of fun.
Sounds like a fun and charming book. Love the cover and title. Perfect choice today!
This is one of our ALL TIME favorite PBs. Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Bruce Degen and telling him I thought it was one of the most brilliant PBs ever written. He was so humble about it. This is a must for all children.
Oh, I would LOVE to meet him! We also love the Jesse Bear books, which he illustrated and (until I wrote this review) I had no idea that he was also the illustrator of the Magic School Bus series.
The illos are great but I too LOVE the language in this one – my kids too!
This sounds like such a berriliciously yummy book, Carrie! I’ll try and see if my kids’ school library has this one; can’t wait to feast on the gorgeous illustrations!
Carrie, I’d forgotten this book! Our girls used to read it to each other and when my youngest was about 2 she would ask for peanut butter and jamberry sandwiches. Thanks for reminding me – I’m going to have to revisit.
This book is so much fun to read aloud. My students love finding “fun” things in the illustrations. I cannot believe that Jamberry was not already on the list. Good thing you added it!
This book has a great Rhythm to it! And the illustrations look really fun!
This is certainly a favorite in our house. The list definitely needed this addition!
What a mouthwatering-ly fun book.
My son loves this book and it’s so much fun to read. I’m glad you wrote about it so others can discover it. Right in time for the holidays, too.