JAM DAY

While traveling on the train with his mom, Ben wishes he were part of the other noisy, happy family groups. But Ben soon gets his wish as they join his grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins for a day of strawberry picking, jam making, and biscuit baking. The author expertly blends the details of a satisfying family experience, from cousins sleeping on the floor and tales of long-ago berry pickings to the final noisy scene where everyone feasts on fresh jam and biscuits. The warm illustrations portray Grandmam in her flowered housedress and Grandpap with a bushy mustache as the classic set of grandparents. And the predominant red and green tones of the full-colored ink drawings create a perfect country day in June. Ben's story will contribute a lot to library collections--a positive story about a single-family, a basic lesson in canning, an easy-to-read title for second and third graders, and a picture book that will work for story hours. A great deal!