Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Prompts
Use the following questions after the second or third reading of Blueberries for Sal. There are questions for every one or two pages of the story.

1. What are Little Sal and her mother going to do? (pick blueberries)
2. What is Little Sal doing? (She is picking and eating blueberries.)
3. Have you ever picked fruits or vegetables?
4. What's happening here? (Little Sal and her mother are going up the hill.)
5. Where is Little Sal getting some of her berries? (from her mother's pail)
6. What does her mother tell Sal to do? (pick her own berries)
7. What does Little Sal do? (She sits down and starts eating.)
8. Who comes along on the other side of the hill? (Little Bear and his mother come along.)
9. Why are they eating blueberries? (They want to get fat for the winter.)
10. What is happening here? (Little Bear is eating berries.)
11. Who does Sal want to find in this picture? (her mother)
12. Where does Little Sal look for her mother? (She looks up the hill and around a big rock.)
13. What does she find instead? (a mother crow and her children)
14. Who does Little Sal start to follow? (Little Bear's mother)
15. Where does Little Bear look for his mother? (He looks up the hill and on top of a stump.)
16. What does Little Bear find instead? (a mother partridge and her children)
17. Who does Little Bear start to follow? (Little Sal's mother)
18. Who is following whom in this picture? (Little Sal is following the mother bear and Little Bear is following Sal's mother.)
19. Is Mother Bear worried that Little Sal is following her? (No, she thinks it is Little Bear, and she tells him to eat all he can.)
20. What does Little Bear's mother say when she sees Sal? (Garumpf)
21. Who does Mother think is picking berries right behind her? Is she right about this? (She thinks Little Sal is behind her and it's really Little Bear.)
22. Where does Little Bear get some of his berries? (from Sal's mother's pail)
23. How does Sal's mother look when she sees Little Bear? (surprised and a little afraid)
24. Where does Mother find Sal?(sitting behind a big rock)
25. How does Little Bear's mother find him? (She hears the noise he makes when he eats.)
26. What happens on the last page of the story? (The bears and Mother and Sal go home.)

Vocabulary

The words listed below come from the story and its pictures. As you page through the book, point to the pictures and ask the child to name the object or the action shown. This will help the child learn new words. You can use the words below, or you can choose words you think will interest the children. Below are words for every one or two pages of the story.

• eating, knife and fork, bowls, plates, fish bones
• hiding, walking, following, scarf
• creeping, getting ready to pounce, paws, claws
• hiding, house
• stirring, pans, big spoons
• pancakes, syrup, butter, stars, moon, nighttime
• doughnuts, platter
• layer cake, frosting
• moon, stars, windows
• peeking through the keyhole, door
• apron, surprised
• baby chicks
• kissing, flying
• going home, cookies