Step aside, Sal. There's a new blueberry lover in town.A hopeful bear cub sidles up to the grown-up of the house to ask, "Blueberry cake?" A red bucket is produced with the one-word instruction "Blueberries," and off the cub skips to collect the delicious fruit. At first all goes well. A massive field filled with blueberry bushes extends as far as the eye can see. But little bears have little attention spans, and next thing you know the cub has come home, not with a bucket full of blueberries but with a bucket full of flowers. "No blueberries," the cub admits. "No blueberry cake" is the straightforward reply. Can the little bear make amends the next day? Yes! The cake is baked and devoured, and then the little bear utters a single word: "Applesauce?" Tapping into the enthusiasm of small children and infused with a laconic humor, this book is bound to prove a rollicking read-aloud for all that it has a minimal text that mostly consists of repetition of the critical words: blueberry cake and blueberries. Ripe and ripening blueberries abound on the page, meticulously rendered in exquisite detail. Such details extend to other elements of the bucolic setting, such as the black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne's lace, and even a passing monarch butterfly. A note from the author and a recipe for blueberry cake round out this deeply satisfying story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A thoroughly delicious (and practically wordless) charmer. (Picture book. 3-6)

A bear cub tugs on a big bear's apron and asks, "Blueberry cake?" The big bear hands the little one a red pail, saying, "Blueberries." The cub runs to a meadow full of blueberries and nearly fills the pail before chasing a butterfly, spilling the berries, and returning with a pail of wildflowers. A short conversation follows, ending sadly but logically with an inevitable consequence: "No blueberries." "No blueberry cake." The next morning, the cub wakes at sunrise, fills the pail with blueberries, and leaves it on the kitchen table. The big bear bakes a blueberry cake, which the little bear devours, then looks up hopefully and asks, "applesauce?" Dillard's latest picture book shows how much can be done with a limited number of words (blueberry, blueberries, cake, flowers, oh, no, and applesauce), a period, a question mark, and an exclamation point. The digital illustrations create warm, inviting scenes, and a recipe appears in the back matter. Equally appealing to preschoolers who are blueberry fans and beginning readers who can manage just a few words.

Step aside, Sal. There's a new blueberry lover in town.A hopeful bear cub sidles up to the grown-up of the house to ask, "Blueberry cake?" A red bucket is produced with the one-word instruction "Blueberries," and off the cub skips to collect the delicious fruit. At first all goes well. A massive field filled with blueberry bushes extends as far as the eye can see. But little bears have little attention spans, and next thing you know the cub has come home, not with a bucket full of blueberries but with a bucket full of flowers. "No blueberries," the cub admits. "No blueberry cake" is the straightforward reply. Can the little bear make amends the next day? Yes! The cake is baked and devoured, and then the little bear utters a single word: "Applesauce?" Tapping into the enthusiasm of small children and infused with a laconic humor, this book is bound to prove a rollicking read-aloud for all that it has a minimal text that mostly consists of repetition of the critical words: blueberry cake and blueberries. Ripe and ripening blueberries abound on the page, meticulously rendered in exquisite detail. Such details extend to other elements of the bucolic setting, such as the black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne's lace, and even a passing monarch butterfly. A note from the author and a recipe for blueberry cake round out this deeply satisfying story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A thoroughly delicious (and practically wordless) charmer. (Picture book. 3-6)

A bipedal brown bear cub-s desire for blueberry cake leads to a blueberry-picking journey in this humorous picture book by Dillard, relayed solely through speech bubbles featuring concise, repeating prose. -Flowers?- the cub asks, extending a wild bouquet to their apron-wearing parent. -Blueberries?- the parent replies. -No blueberries,- the cub replies on the next page, checking their red bucket. -No blueberry cake,- answers the parent. Despite setbacks, a happy ending awaits, as well as new cravings for the indomitable cub. Fine-lined digital art, showcased in a blend of full spreads and comic-style panels, and rendered in a bright, summery color palette, offers a striking level of detail: plants in the Maine-like setting have individual, minuscule fronds and blossoms, and the bears- coats feature near-realistic strands of fur, contrasting with their cartoony personalities and energetic movements. A warm, Blueberries for Sal-leaning slice of summer for any reader. Back matter features a note revealing the story-s personal inspiration, as well as a blueberry cake recipe. Ages 4-8. (July)