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Blackberry Banquet |
Reviews & Endorsements Children's Literature Comprehensive Database - June 2008 In this delightful tale, several forest animals scramble to the blackberry bush in a “wee green wood” to feast on delicious berries. A mouse, bluebird, bushy tailed squirrel, fine fox, and stately deer all gather to munch on the delectable fruit. The animals, in the order they arrive, offer a squeak, tweet, slurp, yip, and chomp followed by a satisfied “Mmm-mm” as they snack on the berries. The repetitive build up of sounds in this cumulative tale allows listeners to “read” along after only hearing it a few times. Short text, punctuated with vivid verbs, keeps the pace flowing and the tale interesting. Children who hear it will enjoy acting out the scenes. Bright, realistic illustrations enhance the text. The author’s unique presentation allows readers to come away knowing much about which forest animals dine on berries without feeling they have been taught something. End material includes facts, a recipe and ideas about a food chain, as well as other topics. Teachers can’t go wrong with this entertaining book and the activities that contain math, science, geography, and language arts lessons. - Nancy Attebury
This snappy rhyming text has all the woodland animals zeroing in on a blackberry bush with its yummy, just-ripe treats. That is, until growly Bear turns up, sending them all scurrying in a farcical cascade of mishaps. But who will get the last berry--and the last laugh? Pierce keeps the text light, with lots of appropriate onomatopoeia for all the animal noises when they're happily munching. Downey's lifelike art captures just a hint of whimsy in their gleeful gobbling. And, of course, there's more info on blackberries and their place in the "food web" and a yummy recipe for blackberry smoothie. This is one of Sylvan Dell's better outings this season, with a more imaginative and sprightly treatment of a nature topic, but one that doesn't stray far from its factual basis. Rating: *\*\*\ --Anne Boles Levy MyReadableFeast.com - June 2008 Another sign of summer are all the recipes I keep seeing for berry dishes. From the Denver Post food section to Sunset and Bon Appetit magazines, there have been some terrific new takes on what to do with the summer berry harvest. Best of all, they’re very kid friendly, so I’ll be sharing the recipes (and some good books to go with them) in the next few weeks. First, to get us in a berry good mood, from Sylvan Dell Publishing comes Blackberry Banquet Like all Sylvan Dell books, the last few pages feature a “For Creative Minds” educational section with fun facts and other activities. (You can also view it online on their website along with Teaching Activities, quizzes: Reading / FCM / Math, and Learning Links.) I learned that even foxes like to eat berries - who knew? Terry got the idea for her newest picture book while vacationing in Oregon. “Blackberry Banquet The For Creative Minds section also includes a blackberry recipe. As we all know, blackberries are pretty expensive. Luckily, we have a large bush growing in our yard! Kern, CA Reading Association - June 2008 Woodland creatures great and small gather in a wee green wood to snack from a blackberry bush in this appealing rhythmic picture book by Terry Pierce. Perfect for read-alouds, children will love chiming in during the story’s mounting chorus which builds charmingly with each new blackberry diner. The arrival of a hungry bear provides the story’s amusing climax, and illustrator Lisa Downey wonderfully captures the animals’ expressive faces when greeted by the surprise guest. Blackberry Banquet is a ripe and juicy treat of a tale which children will happily pick off the bookshelf time and time again for a sweet reading snack. Mmm-mm! - Rebecca Langston-George, Past President Kern Reading Association TheReadingTub.com - June 2008 Summary: Mm-mm-mm. At the edge of the woods sat a blackberry bush, full of ripe blackberries. A mouse spotted it first, followed by a bluebird, squirrel, fox, and deer. When a bear shows up, will there be any left? Learn about animals who eat fruit with this picture book story. Type of Reading: bedtime story, anytime reading, family reading, playtime reading, read aloud book, early reader Recommended Age: read together: 4 to 8; read yourself: 6 to 9 Age of Child: Read with nearly 7-year-old girl. Little Kid Reaction: "This was too short." Our daughter enjoyed this book, and particularly liked mimicking the animal sounds as they munched on blackberries. Big Kid Reaction: This is a simply-presented book, almost too simple. I kept waiting for something else. You really don't get the full sense of what the book is trying to teach until you read the Plants and Animals section in the back. The expressions on the animals' faces adds to the book. Pros: Kids will enjoy this cutely-illustrated story about animals sharing food in the woods. Cons: There is very little non-fiction information woven into the tale. The reader needs to flip to the back to get some context if they want to 'teach' with the story. Borrow or Buy: Borrow. Although for elementary readers (lots of sight words), if presented as just a story, it is probably better suited for a preschool audience. Families Online Magazine - July 2008 BLACKBERRY BANQUET by Terry Pierce, illustrated by Lisa Downey, is a feast of words! The animals in the forest take turns eating the delicious blackberries. The text builds as each animal responds with its own sound of contentment. Until …"Bear tramps up - Bear? Where?" The animals all clamor for safety, but bear just want some berries, too! The witty yet suspenseful build-up flows into a satisfying ending. The spirited rhyme and rhythm of the energetic text will delight the read aloud crowd. Each animal's spirit is captured in the colorful, bold illustrations kids will love. The end of the book is chock full of activity ideas, including recipes, and interesting facts about blackberries, animals, and more. The publisher also offers a web site link for more materials parents can use. - Barbara Bietz |
for children ages four to eight . Author Terry Pierce tells the story of forest animals squeaking, tweeting, slurping, yipping, and chomping over the sweet, plump fruit of a wild blackberry bush. When a bear arrives to take part in the feast, chaos strikes.
came to me one day when I was approaching my favorite wild blackberry bush to pick berries for making a pie,” she explains. “As I neared the bush, a flurry of animals fled from it, and it made me start thinking about how we’re not the only animals who enjoy such a sweet treat!” (You can read an
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