Jamberry

Degen, B. (1983). Jamberry. Illustrated by Bruce Degen. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Brief Annotation: Follow boy and a bear as they pick berries. There are blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries picked to make jam. All of the berries come together to make a mountain of berries in the jam jamboree.
Genre: Poetry/Audiobook

Grade Level: Pre-K to Grade 2

Readers who will like this: Children who are reading just above a beginning level will like the rhythm and the repetitive word berry. Students who love berries will enjoy the illustrations the book offers.

Response/Rating (1-4): I would rate this book a 4. It could be a great book to do a choral read with. The repetitive use of the word berry would provide a substantial opportunity for students to interact with the book. The teacher could have some sort of cue card to let the students know when it is their turn to “read”. The illustrations in the book are also very vivid and allow the reader to put the words into true context and visualize berry picking excitement.
One question you would ask before a read aloud: Does anyone know where a berry grows? How do you pick berries?