BlueBeary by Kathleen McMillan, Illustrated by Rebekah Joy Plett
Last Updated on Sunday, 29 November 2009 13:00 Written by Norm Tucker Saturday, 28 November 2009 11:02
BlueBeary is a book for children but I enjoyed it anyway. What a great book? I remember years ago browsing to find suitable books for my daughters. "Nope. Nope." For one reason or other, I discarded them. However, BlueBeary is one affirming, nourishing and satisfying book.
Congratulations to Kathleen and Rebekah for the first of what they hope will be a series of 12 books. The story is delightful and a wonderful teaching opportunity - not to mention an opportunity for the reader to learn - isn't that why we have children - to learn? And the illustrations are perfect. I love the colours.
This is a book offering double the pleasures - for reader and listener. It's great for reading to children because it is set up so the pictures are on one side, the writing on the other, so the child or children can easily see the pictures while the reader can easily read the story. Simple. It works.
Here's the first two pages side by side.
I do not remember as a child having a teddy bear. Later, I felt deprived and over compensated one year when I first owned a small retail store. I brought in over 200 teddy bears for Christmas - and they all sold. My daughters enjoyed their bears, as well as the pound puppies and cabbage patch dolls.
We all also enjoyed the Berenstain Bears series, often using the books to help solve a specific problem - like a messy room. (See the messy room on YouTube.) Didn't work though. Their rooms remained messy. I think children see through these contrivances and they sense their parent's desperation. Still, the books were great.
On the other hand, I never liked nor appreciated the Winnie-the-Pooh series. A bear of 'little brain'? Why do we want put downs? Who needs them?
I was taken by BlueBeary from the moment I saw it. This is one to get. It is written with love and by a mother and early childhood educator. The story along with the complementary and empathizing illustrations make BlueBeary, in my view, a beautiful book that will be treasured. It may be ordered through Open Eyes.
P.S. I liked the pun: blueberry-bluebeary, and I think I corrected all the puny mistakes that spell-check wouldn't catch, although spell-check wanted me to correct the wrong one!.