Robert McCloskey

Has it already been established on this blog that Isaac loves books? He liked them very much starting at about four months of age, but right before his first birthday he became a true reader. This hasn't changed over the last four years.

And what about Laurel? Her fondness for books dawned at about six months of age, became entrenched by one year, and has grown steadily ever since. But it is only over the past two months, starting around 19 months of age, that her enthusiasm has rivaled her brother's.

Strangely, over the past few weeks both Isaac and Laurel have been enthralled by different works by the same person: Robert McCloskey.

McCloskey is probably most famous as the author and illustrator of the picture book "Make Way for Ducklings," but the book that caught Laurel's attention is "Blueberries for Sal." It was published in 1948, 61 years before Laurel was born, but she doesn't mind its age. She doesn't mind the single-color illustrations, or the out-of-date car and clothing, or the plot about canning fruit for the winter (although I guess canning is becoming a contemporary practice once again!).

She especially loves the pages on which the mother (whether human and bear) finally stops gathering blueberries and looks behind her to discover she is being followed by the wrong child (whether bear or human). She likes to act out the mothers' surprise by widening her eyes and giving a sharp gasp.

I must have read "Blueberries for Sal" 30 times since checking it out of the library three weeks ago. I wouldn't say that I am sick of reading it yet, but I did make a point of taking Laurel back to the library to get a few more options. I haven't returned it, though! See what a good mother I am?

As for Isaac, I just finished reading him "Homer Price," McCloskey's episodic children's novel from 1943. Parts of it were a bit over his head, and parts of it are a bit ethnically insensitive, but there's nothing too objectionable (unless you count the lazy union worker passing out dead drunk after consuming the "cough syrup" the town's founder buried 150 years ago to prevent rampaging Indians from stealing it).

Anyway, we had a wonderful time reading the book together, and we shared lots of laughs! He especially loved the automatic doughnut-making machine that couldn't be stopped, and that when it was founded 150 years ago the town of Centerburg was called Edible Fungus.

Edible Fungus! Now the challenge is to get Isaac to stop saying that phrase.