One Morning in Maine

Blueberries for Sal

by Robert McCloskey

A Caldecott Honor Book!

Today is a specidal day for Sal because she gets to go to Buck's Harbour with her dad. But when she wakes up to brush her teeth with her baby sister, she discovers something shocking.... Her tooth is loose!

And that's just the start of a huge day!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Classics, Family, Nature, Realistic Fiction

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

John Robert McCloskey was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He both wrote and illustrated eight picture books and won two Caldecott Medals from the American Library Association recognizing the year's best-illustrated picture book. Four of those eight books were set in Maine: Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine, Time of Wonder, and Burt Dow, Deep-water Man; the last three all on the coast. He was also the writer for Make Way For Ducklings, as well as the illustrator for The Man Who Lost His Head.

McCloskey was born in Hamilton, Ohio, during 1914 and reached Boston in 1932 with a scholarship to study at Vesper George Art School. After Vesper George he moved to New York City for study at the National Academy of Design.

In 1940, he married Peggy Durand, daughter of the children's writer Ruth Sawyer. They had two daughters, Sally and Jane, and settled in New York State, spending summers on Scott Island, a small island off Little Deer Isle in East Penobscot Bay. McCloskey's wife and eldest daughter Sally are reputed to be the models for little Sal and her mother in Blueberries for Sal (1948), a picture book set on a "Blueberry Hill" in the vicinity. Three others of his picture books are set on the coast and concern the sea.

Peggy died in 1991. Twelve years later on June 30, 2003, McCloskey died at his home in Deer Isle, Maine.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. I love the artwork and the nature drawings in this story. The drawings are black and white with exquisite details. I also like the story. Sal, who I assume is the same Sal in the Sal and the Blueberries, wakes up excited to go to town. She discovers a tooth is loose and the excitement is vibrating in the book. My niece has lost several teeth and each one has such excitement around it. She has to show off each wiggle, each tooth, and she loves the drama of the process. She gets a dollar for her teeth, not just a wish. This story rings true after recently seeing this.

They go clam digging on the shores of Maine and then go into town for a few groceries. It looks so ideal and what a wonderful childhood. This is the 2nd book by Robert that I simply adore. I like the Maine setting. Robert is on my list and I would like to read all his books now. This is my 4th one I’ve read. There is one more, I think, on the Caldecott list to go. I want to own this little gem I am so fond of it.

The kids enjoyed this book. The niece related to Sal loosing a tooth and she gave this 4 stars. The nephew thought it was a little boring, but he liked when Sal slipped into the water looking at the seal. He laughed over that. He thought ridding in a motor boat to go to the store was pretty cool too. He gave it 3 stars.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a kid, I found "One Morning in Maine" calming and familiar, an ideal naptime book. Revisiting it much later in life, in a B. Dalton I believe, I was shocked to find myself teary-eyed, even dizzy, looking at the pages. It felt like picking up a seashell at the beach and finding a tiny picture of my best friend from kindergarten inside.

[Laura (Book Scrounger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being from Maine, I have to give props to the Mainest picture book ever written. I feel like if this book were written today, after Sal tragically lost her tooth in a mud puddle, the clams and loons and harbor seal and all her family members would have staged a heroic, collaborative search-and-rescue mission to restore the lost enamel to Sal so she could make her wish and get her ice cream and it would all be over, with an emphasis on how special everyone is.

But nope. "That's too bad" is what she gets. Buck up, little lady. You'll lose another tooth someday. This is Maine and there will probably be a blizzard soon and we don't cry about things like that. Ahh, Maine. Sal's Dad is all of our Maine grandparents rolled into one -- not sentimental, of few words, but hard working and by golly he will get the job done.

Anyway. I like that this story is sort of about loss, but mostly about finding new things and old things and recognizing some of the patterns and rhythms of life from a child's perspective.

And clam chowder for lunch!

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One Morning in Maine” is a Caldecott Honor Book from the great mind of Robert McCloskey and it is about how a young girl named Sal learns about the wonders of growing up after she loses her first baby tooth. “One Morning in Maine” is a truly inspiring story about growing up that many children will easily love.

Robert McCloskey has done an excellent job at both illustrating and writing this book. Robert McCloskey’s illustrations are much more beautiful in this book than in his other books as the characters look so realistic and Sal’s expressions as she realizes that she has a loose tooth are extremely realistic as she expresses shock and pure excitement, like any child who has a loose tooth and they are sometimes scared because they are worried about the pain if their baby tooth comes loose and the pure excitement they exhibit as they see their baby tooth come out. Robert McCloskey’s illustrations are also in black and white, giving this story an old fashioned feeling while also making this book more effective in displaying the characters’ emotions, as the characters expressions are realistic. Robert McCloskey makes this story extremely cute and inspiring a the same time as Sal tries to figure out the meaning of growing up after she looses her tooth and many children will easily relate to Sal’s emotions about her loose tooth as many children have often lose their baby teeth and they usually have feelings of fear and excitement as they fear that they will feel pain when their baby teeth will fall out and feel excitement as they experienced the joys of growing up.

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Parents should know that this book might be a tad bit too long for smaller children to handle as the book is about sixty-pages long and parents might want to read the first thirty pages one night and then the next thirty pages the next night so that children would not be easily bored by this book.


“One Morning in Maine” is a fantastic book about the wonders of growing up and will be an instant classic for many children who also experience the wonders of a loose baby tooth. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since smaller children might become bored with the length of this book.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Angelica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently one of Niamh's favourites. She quotes sections to me randomly throughout the day... "My, such trouble" "We're having cham powder for lunch!" [sic] This is one of those books that kids love, but parents don't have to get tired of reading to them. I love the way McCloskey is able to take the stuff of everyday life and suffuse it with a gentle humour and an obvious understanding of the inner workings of a child's mind. Reading this book is like eating a slice of warm, home-baked bread with the butter still melting on it.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do I love the illustrations of this book!

[Margaret Chind · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Morning in Maine was our read this morning from Make Way for McCloskey on the recommendation of Sonlight P3/4. While I remember Make Way for Ducklings from my childhood I do not know all of these other McCloskey tales and I am really enjoying them with my girls. Blueberries for Sal is definitely the most well requested by my three year old, so when I was able to start a new story about an older version of Sal with her little sister Jane that intrigued my daughter who is also an older sister to a little sister.

I love the storybook treasury that we have, and the pictures are all the right sizes, but I'm curious what the experience would be like with individual readers as well. If my girls might look at it on their own more... One Morning in Maine is a great read of a great day of adventure in a little girl, probably around five. As I remember when one of my nieces lost her first tooth on her fifth birthday and my mother said that "she is taking being five very seriously".

I love the simplicity of the sepia illustrations that are practically black and white but not void of color with the imagination either in One Morning in Maine. The personality and excitement of this little Sal, now big girl Sal comes right off the page and reminds me of my own youth or watching other children. From the excitement and jumping out of the bed with anticipation of fun and excitement for the day to tenderly taking care of her sister without being asked and on to the thrill of telling everyone and thing that she meets that she has a loose tooth. It's enchanting and all around fun and fabulous. I am definitely a McCloskey fan.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes place where I grew up in the summer and still go visit every summer. Sal and Jane are real people and the store/garage are also there just revamped. As I worked at the yacht club during my years from HS- college you do see many people stepping off the boats reinacting sal and janes adventures which is cute.
A fun book for kids and adults all ages who come to visit in this town in the summer!

[Kellyn Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the sweetest little short story ever! I've been reading it since I was a tiny kid (or rather my mother's been reading it to me), and I've always loved it. I love the descriptions of the animals and how Sal interacts with them. I talk to animals about stuff, too ... and I'm a teenager ...

Also, this book really makes me want to visit the ocean and have chocolate icecream. :P

~Kellyn Roth, Reveries Reviews

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did I missed this book all my life? Well, my children will not miss out on this classic. Sweet story. Beautiful charcoal illustrations.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most recognizable names in children's fiction is Robert McCloskey, author and illustrator of books like "Make Way for Ducklings," "Time of Wonder" and "Blueberries for Sal." As an illustrator, McCloskey was recognized with the Caldecott on four separate occasions for his work in children's fiction; twice with the Caldecott Medal and twice with the Caldecott Honor. He received the Caldecott Honor in 1953 for his book, "One Morning in Maine."

The story of a child losing a tooth for the first time has been dealt with in picture books in all different ways, but the story of Sal and her tooth are told in such a way that it stays with the reader long after the last page has been turned. For those that grew up with books by this author and illustrator, Sal and the other characters created by McCloskey, are old friends. They are the kind of friends one wants to introduce to other young readers that will continue to love them as they grow.

It's easy to see why McCloskey has been honored for his illustrations in children's books. His images are realistic and capture moments in a child's life that are common to all children. The stories he tells could be about any child growing up on the northeastern coast of the United States; though they appeal to readers all over the U.S. Sal, her baby sister, mother and father remind one of family photographs that may have been taken while visiting the Atlantic shore or summers spent with relatives in a place that seemed almost magical as a child.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite picture books of all time. I was thinking about it today because it is a beautiful book about a girl character that is not ABOUT a GIRL!!, if you know what I mean. Sal's relationship to her father and her sister is so well-done, and I love that Sal suffers a small disappointment, yet her father does not sugar-coat it or try to "fix" it and life goes on. The book is dated, but in a wonderful, magical way that will make you want to go back in time. Really, it has about a thousand things to recommend it, and in my view, no childhood should be without it. My daughter was entranced by it and I expect my son will be, too. Best for ages 4-6, I'd say.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author conveys his love of Maine with lovely charcoal like black and white illustrations.

Written in 1952, the illustrations took me back in time to my childhood and reminded me of the Dick and Jane books.

Sal awakes to find her tooth is loose. Excited about a trip to Buck's Harbor with her father, she and her little sister walk the beach to find him.

While digging clams, her tooth falls out and is lost to the sea.

Traveling via row boat the Buck's Harbor Sal tells the tale of her missing tooth to the sea gulls and the seal.

Slow and leisurely in pace, this is a delightful snapshot of times gone by.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice story about life on a Maine island for a family of four. Sal (from Blueberries for Sal, perhaps?) is growing up and has a loose tooth. She goes to help her dad go clamming and then she and her little sister go over to the mainland with their dad in a boat to get groceries. It's very quaint, and tells of an older time, but still has a sincerity and a sweetness that resonates with children today. We really enjoyed this story.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe this book triggered my interest in the Atlantic NE. The scenery is inviting and would have appealed to me. And how fun for a child -- woods and beach, digging for clams, a boat ride to go shopping, ice cream cones -- what a life! At the time it was written, the story was 'modern' now it's nostalgic. But ... it still shows the working of a child's mind, and as children begin to lose their teeth, they'll identify with Sal. This is a keeper.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

McCloskey never disappoints. I love the story and the drawings offered in this book. I am not certain if I have now read everything that McCloskey wrote, but this may be my favourite. If you want to offer your children (and yourself) a sense of a life that is nearly completely in the past, please share this one as a family.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't much impressed by Blueberries for Sal but at least it had bears. This sequel is a total snooze about a loose tooth, seabirds, and clamming. Ho-hum.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a boss once, (who hasn't), but I guess she was my first boss, and, though we didn't part as friends, I thought of her as a big sister-type and there's still all these things that remind me of her and how much a relationship like that can mean to a 22 year-old when you're so far from your family for the first time (NYC). Because we worked in publishing, it makes sense Children's books would set it off, but she also had a house in Maine.
I've never been, but she was a fast paced lady, she ran early in the morning and stayed late at work--and I so admired her, but also knew what ever was in her, I didn't have--but when I saw this book, I wanted more than anything to send it to her. I'm sure she has a million copies, but that's what books can do for you. She had a house in Maine, and it was so special to her--Maine in general. The calmness that came over her, I couldn't pin point it, but it was like, that was the real her. She would show these sepia-artsy pictures of her husband, her dog, herself, all in Maine, and I knew NYC and this fast-paced publishing job, her five miles a day--they were a part of her, but Maine was the real part.
So when I saw this book, with two girls (my boss had a sister, so it was perfect), running and clam digging with their dad in Maine while their mom makes clam chowder and little Sal looses her tooth, it was a weird sort of forgivenness hitting me in a way that only books and stories and time can create--and the love of the books and stories were always what we had in common anyway. How weird you can still love a part of someone, even if you end up not parting well professionally. My old boss, somehow, somewhere, is Sal, happy and free, with a loose tooth. She's not really the pushy, over-worked adult she seemed to turn into. I guess all this time, despite years and tons of physical seperation, I still care about that first big-sister-like boss....blah blah blah. But it's true. I loved this book for Ann.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This takes me back to my youth. I am not certain I ever read this book, but to me, this was the type of book I did read. I really like this book.

Sal, a cute little girl from Blueberries for Sal fame awakens to discover she has a loose tooth. I note that the tooth fairy did not make an appearance here. Rather, her mother tells her to put the tooth under her pillow and make a wish.

Sal takes off to find her father, who is digging for clams along the shore. Before she meets him, she tells the animals she encounters that she has a loose tooth. She eventually arrives at her father and tells him the same. As they dig for clams, Sal realizes she has lost her tooth.

Disappointed, she finds a feather. She convinces herself that the bird would put the feather beneath the pillow and make a wish since he doesn't have teeth.

Father and Sal gather Jane, the younger sister and head across the water to the general store in a row boat. While there, Sal's wish comes true as as she receives a chocolate ice cream cone.

The story describes the simple life of the early 1950s in Maine. Idyllic. It is no surprise that McCloskey won a Caldecott Honor for his illustrations; they are amazing!

This book came from my sister, I believe. It was discarded by a public library. To me, it's in good enough shape to read. Beetle is up next for this one.

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an utterly charming kids' book, and I can see why it's considered such a classic. The story is cute--how Sal's tooth comes loose and falls out, and how she deals with the issue of wishes. She sets a good example for children of how to be a good older sibling and to deal with (initial) disappointment. The way of life described in the story, the family's little isolated Maine life, reusable milk bottles, travel by boat, etc is like another world, and all the more charming for it. The pictures are drawn so simply and yet vividly, with cute little details tucked in, like a cat winding its way behind a bench or a pet licking up spilled milk under the table while the main characters converse. I both felt like I was there with Sal, and also wanted to go there for real. Definitely a book I want to share with the children in my life.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey (Puffin Books 1976) (Fiction – Children's). Here's another book about Sal by the wonderful author and illustrator Robert McCloskey. First published in 1952, this book was a winner of the Caldecott Honor. Sal wakes up ready for a day on the water and finds that she has her first loose tooth! Can anyone remember what an absolutely HUGE deal that was as a kid? I remember it as being as big as the first time I was actually able to ride my two-wheeler without scraping knees and elbows! This book when read to the youngest listeners will help take out the fear of the unknown, and that's a scary thing! My rating: 7/10, finished 2000.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This old-fashioned book tells the story of a girl whose tooth is loose. Her mother tells her she can put the tooth under her pillow and make a wish. She goes digging for clams with her father, but she loses the tooth. I presume the little girl is the same girl from "Blueberries for Sal" because her name is also Sal, but she is obviously a little older in this book.

This book teaches a lot about nature because the little girl sees many animals and wonders if they have teeth.

My son seemed to like this book. He didn't know what clam chowder was. (I don't think he has ever eaten it.) Great book for learning about Maine.

[Savannah Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Morning in Maine is a beautiful book that expresses the simple pleasures of life, whether it be losing your first tooth, getting that delicious chocolate ice cream cone, or Mom's fresh cooked clam chowder. McCloskey's story is a heart warming telling of a family's life on the coast of Maine, as well as an endearing interpretation of childhood and the meaning of growing up. A Caldecott Honor Book, One Morning in Maine is a great book for children between the ages of 3-6 years. A good read-aloud book for children.

[Fjóla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book, my favorite so far of the McCloskey books. Such a big day for Sal, and oh, the questions, they're exactly the same ones I get from my almost five year old all the time, so endearing! This book would make a beautiful gift. Wish I could draw like Robert McCloskey ...

[Eyehavenofilter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A follow up to Blueberries for Sal, she and Jane are on their way to Bucks Harbor. Sal has a loose tooth and wants everyone to know she's growing up. She wants to know what animals have teeth, and do they put them under pillows like human children? While she's helping her dad dig for clams her tooth falls out, but she can't find it. Not a big deal for Sal, she takes it in stride. They row over to Bucks Harbor with the clams and then head home for clam chowder! Another great day to be in Maine!

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sequel to Blueberries for Sal. This time Sal is older
with a little sister Jane. The book takes her through a day with her dad and a trip to Buck’s Harbor. And another fun surprise that makes it an extraordinary day for Sal.

The drawings are superb. The movement and action are so good you feel like you are actually watching the day. Jane’s adventures in the pictures offer a perfect silent B line to the book. I really like Robert McCloskey’s drawings.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5 year old loves this one...it hits a lot of his interests (loose tooth! little sibling! boats! ice cream! motors!). The illustrations are so detailed and support the story so well, that even my two year old will happily sit through this book. And I appreciate all the "real" details...actual names of wildlife, the spark plug problem, as well as the gentle way that McCloskey shows losing things (a tooth, a feather, a boat part) isn't catastrophic.

[The Library Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Sal from "Blueberries From Sal", but a little more grown up--the toddler now is her sister Jane. Both little girls were based on McCloskey's own daughters.

This is my own childhood favorite--I vividly remember the chocolate ice cream cone and the loose tooth falling into the salty mud. My own "Sal" and "Jane" loved this book too!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story of this book wasn't as interesting as I would have liked, I did enjoy the pictures, they were detailed and made the book feel more alive. I liked this book, aside from a few flaws it was nice.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet story about a girl, Sal (from Blueberries for Sal), and her loose tooth. The illustrations are beautiful and the sisters sweet. All my girls, ranging from 5 to 2, will all sit still for the whole book. Well, my 2 year old wanders around at about the 3/4 mark, but comes back to sit down later. You cannot go wrong with McCloskey.