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Blackberry Booties
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 16, 2017
I used this one as part of our unit on blackberries. Since we were making blackberry ink, it was especially nice to find a book where the blackberries are used for their color and not only for their edible nature...as delicious as that is! Getting the kids to STOP EATING ALL THE BERRIES long enough to get the ink made was a challenge! But that is a story for another time. :)
My kiddos really enjoyed this one. Personally, I didn't care much for the illustrations, but they didn't distract too much from the story, so that's okay. We all agreed that watching the process the main character go through to create the gift for the new baby was rather humorous, and there were a few good laughs along the way. Since the kids are especially interested in the idea of raising sheep for wool and have already taken up knitting needles on several occasions, this was extra appealing for them. However, we had a difference of opinion as to which color the booties should have been for the baby. Turns out the kids liked the natural color of the wool best. It took a little bit of discussion to get them to understand why Mikki Jo made the choice that she did. It ended up being a very nice discussion about what makes a gift both personal and special, and that really improved my thoughts on this story.
Overall, it was a perfect addition to our discussion of blackberries and is a book that is easy to recommend to anyone trying to explain to a child why handmade gifts are sometimes so much more special that something you could just buy in the store.
My kiddos really enjoyed this one. Personally, I didn't care much for the illustrations, but they didn't distract too much from the story, so that's okay. We all agreed that watching the process the main character go through to create the gift for the new baby was rather humorous, and there were a few good laughs along the way. Since the kids are especially interested in the idea of raising sheep for wool and have already taken up knitting needles on several occasions, this was extra appealing for them. However, we had a difference of opinion as to which color the booties should have been for the baby. Turns out the kids liked the natural color of the wool best. It took a little bit of discussion to get them to understand why Mikki Jo made the choice that she did. It ended up being a very nice discussion about what makes a gift both personal and special, and that really improved my thoughts on this story.
Overall, it was a perfect addition to our discussion of blackberries and is a book that is easy to recommend to anyone trying to explain to a child why handmade gifts are sometimes so much more special that something you could just buy in the store.
June 14, 2021
Older Picture Storybook, Blackberries, Gift
Gardella, Tricia. Blackberry Booties. Illustrated by Glo Coalson. NY: Scholastic, 2000. 32 pp. Primary.
This cute and heartfelt story is about a girl who wants to give her nephew the perfect gift and in doing so she goes on a journey that involves trading what she has with the neighbors around her to get the perfect gift and in the end, she is able to do so by dipping handmade baby booties into blackberries to make blackberry booties. Soft illustrations by Glo Coalson really bring this story to life. I like this book because it teaches perseverance and to work hard for what you want.
Alaska Connection: Berry Picking
Related Activity: Did you know you can dye cloth with berries just like Mikki Jo did in the story? We will dye shirts with mashed berries!
Gardella, Tricia. Blackberry Booties. Illustrated by Glo Coalson. NY: Scholastic, 2000. 32 pp. Primary.
This cute and heartfelt story is about a girl who wants to give her nephew the perfect gift and in doing so she goes on a journey that involves trading what she has with the neighbors around her to get the perfect gift and in the end, she is able to do so by dipping handmade baby booties into blackberries to make blackberry booties. Soft illustrations by Glo Coalson really bring this story to life. I like this book because it teaches perseverance and to work hard for what you want.
Alaska Connection: Berry Picking
Related Activity: Did you know you can dye cloth with berries just like Mikki Jo did in the story? We will dye shirts with mashed berries!
August 17, 2020
Mikki Jo uses her blackberries and the skills of her neighbors to make the perfect present for her new nephew Samuel.
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September 27, 2013Mikki Jo wants to give her new baby cousin the perfect gift but doesn't know how to make anything. What she does know is how to pick blackberries. But babies don't eat blackberries, so Mikki figures out how to make the perfect gift.
April 20, 2013
This is a great book to talk about using resources to create something. This can also be used to talk about community and working together.
February 12, 2013
The kids can predict what's going to happen. An excellent book for questioning.
April 8, 2013
Such great book for questioning and inferring.
October 17, 2013
Very good story about work and paying for work; and finding solutions to problems. Nice illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews