August is Berry Picking Month
Reviewed by Dr. Jerry Flack
Michaela Goade won the prestigious American Library Association Caldecott Medal for her illustrations in We Are Water Protectors (Roaring Brook Press, 2020) written by Carole Lindstrom. (See Gifted Development Center Newsletter, June 2021.) Goade was the first Indigenous person to win the Caldecott Medal. The honor is awarded annually to the illustrator of the most distinguished picture book published in the United States in the previous year. Lindstrom is tribally enrolled in the Turtle Mountain Band of the Ojibwe. Goade is of Tlingit descent and is tribally enrolled with the Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska. Berry Song is her first book as both author and artist.
We Are Water Protectors paid tribute to members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The predominant setting is in North Dakota, even as the narrative honors Indigenous people around the world, both past and present, who have been ecological stewards taking great care of the land, air, water, and inhabitants of Mother Earth.
In Berry Song, the artist celebrates life on an island surrounded by the wild sea that has been the home of her Tlingit ancestors for countless generations. Mother Earth has bestowed many gifts to the Indigenous people of the wilderness who live upon the southeast coast of Alaska where she was raised. Her people have gathered herring eggs from the sea that surrounds them. They have lived on salmon from coastal streams and in the rivers of the island’s great forests. They especially prize the berries that have sustained them. Happily, the storyline is intergenerational. A young girl is introduced to island life by her grandmother, who teaches her how to forage life-sustaining foods from both land and sea. The grandmother also shares the songs of gratitude her people have sung from ancient times.
As extraordinary as the fantastic sea and fish-rich streams are, the grandmother especially teaches the young girl to gather the many delicious berries in the dense island forest:
strawberry, blueberry, crowberry, soapberry, salmonberry, red huckleberry, cloudberry, nagoonberry, thimbleberry, raspberry, cranberry, lingonberry, black currant.
After coming to appreciate her homeland and collecting its wonders, the young girl arrives back home where along with other family members she learns how to make the most of island berries. Berries yield cranberry marmalade, huckleberry pie, raspberry scones, whipped soapberries, blueberry jelly and nagoonberry jam. The people give thanks with their Tlingit word for gratitude, Gunalcheesh.
Even as the seasons change there are berry songs for ravens that feast on cranberries deep in the forest during the winter months. Fittingly, the Berry Song ends when its initial heroine takes her young sister by the hand to share her people’s island wonders. “I have so much to show you,” she says and the oral traditions of a grateful people continues.
Berry Song is a lovely celebration of Mother Earth. The narration is brief yet inspirational. Two full pages of back matter are given over to “A Note from the Author.”
Goade tells readers that she grew up on an island much like the one described and pictured in Berry Song. Indeed, even now as an adult she feels the exuberance she experienced as a child entering a rain forest to listen to the joy of the berry song. She informs readers that berries have always been central to the Tlingit way of life. In the distant past, berries were used as medicine, ceremonial gifts, trade goods, and even symbols of wealth. Berry patches were owned by different individuals and clans. Berries became central to mythological or ancient stories. When she is busy picking berries, the author feels rooted to the land. She loves to pass on berry songs and stories to younger children. She always use the Indigenous word Gunalcheesh to thank Mother Earth for berries. She speaks and sings to the berries.
She asks the berries for their permission to be gathered. She also speaks to all living things that help the berries and the forest flourish by spreading and pollinating berry blossoms. Responsibility to the berries is also noted. Berry pickers should gather only the berries they need and can process or store. Humans also need to protect Mother Earth and her gifts from damaging forces such as oil pipelines, logging, and over harvesting. She urges young people to become involved in the defense of wild places. They should become environmental activists regardless of whether they are Native or non-Native in their ancestry.
The illustrations for which Berry Song has been selected with Caldecott Honors are lustrous and incandescent. Notable and symbolic variations set stages for the young life of the berry picker.
The dramatic end pages reveal the stems, leaves, and luscious berries in bold colors set against a background of green and black, representative of primeval, lush, and deep rainforests. Throughout, the many kinds of berries appear as tiny jewels and their names are hand-lettered. The artist’s color palette represents the seasonal changes the island experiences. A dream-like quality appears in lovely watercolor spreads that portray the grandmother speaking to the young girl on her first berry-gathering journey. Shimmering, inspired paintings reveal the timelessness of the sea and the land. Creatures of the earth such as whales, bears, ravens and bees are portrayed as if imagined in beautiful dreams. Realistic images present a contemporary island family using and preserving fresh berries. Photographs of berries complement Michaela Goade’s personal end notes. The author-illustrator posts a warning note to children that they should go berry-picking with adults who can identify without doubt berries that might be toxic.
Home and School Activities
Berry Geography. What are the multiple berry seasons in the homelands of young readers? What is their favorite berry? What time of the year is it in season? Use maps to highlight the bountiful seasons of their beloved berry. Due to unfavorable climates, some berries are not sourced locally. Choose a favorite berry such as the cranberry. Where in the mainland as well as in Alaska (and Hawaii) is the peak season for currants? Match geography with berries. Black and red raspberries flourish in Michigan in July. Berries grow throughout the world. What native berries are found in Scandinavia, for example, during the time of the midnight sun? Encourage young researchers and map makers to create a map of the world that highlights geographical areas where berries flourish around the year.
Berry Literature. Robert McCloskey also received a Caldecott Honor for Blueberries for Sal (Viking Press, 1948). Explore children’s books about berries using online searches with prompts such as “Children’s books about berries.” Families have enjoyed McCloskey’s delightful story of a berry hunt for nearly 75 years. Caldecott medalist Sophie Blackall illustrates a fascinating history of a famous European dessert, blackberry fool, in Emily Jenkin’s A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat (Schwartz & Wade, 2015). A parent and child work side-by-side in four different locations from Lyme, England to San Diego, California in the years of 1710, 1810, 1910, and 2010 to create a fine dessert. This lovely book reveals the evolution of kitchen utensils, food processing, storage, and serving across four centuries. Other fine berry books include Bruce Degen’s Jamberry (Harper Festival, 1995) and Time for Cranberries (Roaring Brook Press, 2015) written by Lisl H. Detlefsen and illustrated by Jed Henry.
Ask readers to compare and contrast two or more children’s books about berry harvesting, baking, serving, and storing. Using these titles and countless other gems about children and berries, exhort gifted writers and illustrators to create original books about their favorite berries.
Farmers Markets. After enjoying Berry Song, plus classics such as Blueberries for Sal, creative children can learn much about berries and other fresh produce (e.g., sweet corn) during a visit to a local farmers market. Encourage young berry lovers to seek out vendors who offer a wide variety of berries. Before or en route to a local farmers market, discuss with children questions they may want to ask berry vendors. What is the peak season for blackberries? How early do vendors have to awaken to pick fresh berries to bring to market? Do they have children who help with the harvest of particular berry crops? How are particular berries such as red huckleberries or raspberries best used? Does the vendor recommend red raspberry scones? Encourage students to photograph (with permission) the beautiful displays of berries in market booths. Helpful vendors may be very busy with other customers, so urge children to strike up conversations with other berry lovers. Urge children to be inquisitive. Can they ask a fellow customer how he or she plans to best use the pint of yellow cherries that has just been chosen?
As a culminating activity (after devouring fresh strawberries) encourage gifted young writers to write and illustrate a story about a vendor and his or her long, long day from very early hours of harvesting berries to the last sale of the day and trip back home to the farm.
Berry Gourmets.
As portrayed in Berry Song, adult family members supervise the baking and preserving of berries. Any children’s berry gourmet treats require adult supervision. The use of knives, blenders, and heat sources still require adult supervision. Young children can observe the intricacies of adults preparing and baking a blueberry cobbler, but there still remain gourmet delights that children can create with fresh (or frozen) berries. Here are a few kitchen beginner ideas. The author thanks Patty Baer-Henson for several of these child-proof berry treats.
1. Crush berries and add lemonade. Pour into popsicle containers and freeze.
2. Crush berries and add flavored yogurt. Pour the mixture into popsicle containers and freeze.
3. Make a berry parfait with different layers of berries, ice cream, whipping cream and granola. Chill and enjoy for evening dessert.
4. Depending on the size of the berry (it's best to use strawberries), dip in chocolate or white chocolate or both. Let set and enjoy.
5. Decorate plain frosted cupcakes (or a cake) with different-colored berries to make clown faces.
6. Combine berries with binders such as cottage cheese or yogurt and whirl up a berry smoothie.
Bon Appetite!
Goade, Michaela. Berry Song. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2022. Caldecott Honor Book, 2023.
