Famed author Robert McCloskey ("Make Way for Ducklings," "One Morning in Maine," and others) wrote and illustrated this gently humorous parallel tale of two moms and their daughters on a blueberry hunt. One pair is human, and the other pair is bear!. As they proceed up opposite sides of rolling hill covered in blueberries, each member of the species copies the other: The moms focus on the task at hand, remembering the harsh winter ahead; the children ("Little Sal" and "Little Bear") focus on the immediate pleasures of eating blueberries--so much so, that each gets lost.

In a deftly portrayed switch, McCloskey shows the Little Bear following Little Sal's mom, and Little Sal following the Little Bear's mom. The two lost children are unafraid of following the mismatched grown-ups (ok, so McCloskey takes some liberties in this very light book). Eventually the two moms turn around and see who is following: Little Bear's mother discovers Sal and turns away: ("She was old enough to be shy of people, even a very small person like Little Sal.") Meanwhile, Little Sal's mom discovers Little Bear, and the mother back away: ("She was old enough to be shy of bears, even very small bears like Little Bear.") Each pair reunites and returns home, with an adventure and berries to savor over the winter.

McCloskey's deep blue-black drawings complement the appealing symmetry and innocence of the book, and the period furnishings, uncluttered landscape, and fashions add to the book's sentimental and enduring attraction. This is a very good bedtime story for little ones who can appreciate an affectionate and tender book.

I did not like it that much because bears do not talk because bears are bad.The pictures do not have color.I like it a little bit.

Yesterday a woman turned around from blueberry picking on Blueberry Hill expecting to find her little toddler, Sal, but discovered instead a bear cub munching a mouthful of berries from her bucket. Sal was nowhere in sight, as apparently the mother had picked berries for some time thinking that the little bear following her was Sal. More alarmingly, when the mother found Sal she reported having followed a large bear around for some time, probably the cub's mother who had also mistaken Sal for her own cub. Fortunately no one was hurt but everyone should keep close track of their children if picking berries for the winter on Blueberry Hill.

Author/illustrator Robert McCloskey has created a delightful set of images to bring his timeless tale of mistaken identity to life. Christopher had a hard time deciding which was funnier, Blueberries for Sal or Curious George Takes a Job. Sal is definitely more charmingly life-like, bringing back the by-gone era of canning fruits for the winter. This book serves a multi-layered role of teaching the importance of listening and the ways of earlier American families in a wonderful outdoor setting. A great book!