A MORNING WITH BLUEBURRY

A hungry muffin’s favorite breakfast dish is out of reach in author/illustrator Seymour’s picture book.

This feather-light, just-for-fun children’s story begins as a muffin named Blueburry takes a stroll on the kitchen counter looking for a tasty treat for breakfast. A bowl of icing would be perfect, but it’s on a table that’s some “one thousand muffin-meters away.” Blueburry’s thwarted efforts to reach the table include an unfortunate balloon incident, a rope made of soggy spaghetti, and a too-powerful slingshot crafted from kitchen tools. Encouraged by his kitchen counter friends—a bowl of fruit, a loaf of bread, and a juice box—Blueburry “hike[s] up his muffin liner,” keeps trying, and turns failure into unexpected success. Young children will undoubtedly get a kick out of how thoroughly Blueburry appreciates the finale to his dilemma. Still, readers will find that a clear message of peer support and self-confidence comes through. The author adds whimsy to the proceedings with his spare, fine-lined, pen-and-ink illustrations that give life to goofy-faced food items. Some words, including sound effects, are enlarged for emphasis, encouraging young children to read along. (A “Blueburry” muffin recipe is included.)

A giggle of a tale with a simple lesson of determination.