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32nd out of 270 books
—
740 voters
Blueberry Girl
by
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author),
Charles Vess
This is a prayer for a blueberry girl . . .
A much-loved baby grows into a young woman: brave, adventurous, and lucky. Exploring, traveling, bathed in sunshine, surrounded by the wonders of the world. What every new parent or parent-to-be dreams of for her child, what every girl dreams of for herself.
Let me go places that we've never been, trust and delight in her youth.
Nat...more
A much-loved baby grows into a young woman: brave, adventurous, and lucky. Exploring, traveling, bathed in sunshine, surrounded by the wonders of the world. What every new parent or parent-to-be dreams of for her child, what every girl dreams of for herself.
Let me go places that we've never been, trust and delight in her youth.
Nat...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
March 10th 2009
by HarperCollins Canada / Kid Cloth/Lb/B
(first published March 1st 2009)
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I read this in the library yesterday. Neil Gaiman wrote it for Tori's daughter, when Tori was still pregnant, several years ago. I really love this book, and the thoughtfulness of the poem, and illustrations by Charles Vess.
This book is beautifully written (of course, it's Neil Gaiman) and the illustrations are amazing... kind of a cross between Jamberry and Coraline. But I must say, I am starting to have a hard time with picture books that are written for adults but marketed to kids by appealing to their parents (does that make sense? because it did in my head when I wrote it). If you're going to write a book for kids, then write a book for kids... but if you're going to write a book for your good friend when she'...more
This is a great book for any parent in regards to their first born child or children. In this book, we have a mother embracing motherhood for the very first time through her daughter. She wants to give her baby girl the world and all the beautiful sentiments that go with such. For this mother, her daughter is her everything. She is her mother's pride and joy. A definite must read for mothers everywhere!
Intended Grade Level: Kindergarten-2nd
Intended Grade Level: Kindergarten-2nd
Apr 20, 2009
Kendal
marked it as to-read
I may need someone to read this to me, it sounds frightening.
This is my favorite picture book of the year, already.
My sister gave my daughter this book. The first time I read it, I cried. In fact, every time I read it, I get a little emotional. Blueberry Girl is written so well; it is absolutely beautiful. It is a wish for a happy, adventurous, wonderful life for a girl on her road to womanhood.
I have only read a couple of things by Neil Gaiman and recently had the opportunity to hear him speak. I admit that I don't always pay much attention to authors but rather just the book. For instance, until I heard hi...more
I have only read a couple of things by Neil Gaiman and recently had the opportunity to hear him speak. I admit that I don't always pay much attention to authors but rather just the book. For instance, until I heard hi...more
I read the book Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman
SUMMARY: The Blueberry Girl is part of the IRA Children's Choice book from 2010. This book is dedicated to all the women at every point in their lives, and some of the obstacles they have to deal with at different ages. This book sends a "prayer" out to every type of lady no matter brave, weak, etc. It shows that all women go through many problems but the author prays that they can overcome them and move on with their life, the one girl in particular...more
SUMMARY: The Blueberry Girl is part of the IRA Children's Choice book from 2010. This book is dedicated to all the women at every point in their lives, and some of the obstacles they have to deal with at different ages. This book sends a "prayer" out to every type of lady no matter brave, weak, etc. It shows that all women go through many problems but the author prays that they can overcome them and move on with their life, the one girl in particular...more
This book is about a mother who just had a baby girl. The book shows her adventures as she grows up. It is a prayer that the mother wants for her baby girl, "blueberry girl"
The literary standards were hard to find in this book. The text was kind of lyrical. It was also repetitive. There is however a main character, the blueberry girl. The setting is all through nature. The pictures are cute. They very simple colors but have great detail. They make the story easier to understand. There is not muc...more
The literary standards were hard to find in this book. The text was kind of lyrical. It was also repetitive. There is however a main character, the blueberry girl. The setting is all through nature. The pictures are cute. They very simple colors but have great detail. They make the story easier to understand. There is not muc...more
As much as I love Neil Gaiman, I don't think this one came out all that well. The text seems to really be written from an adult perspective, as it has an element of time and refers to wishes for the child when she's thirty and forty. Wishes can be fine, but children dwell much more in the now rather than in a specific future. I also didn't like the pictures, despite a great dreamy, hopefully style to them. Sometimes the girl depicted was the same for a couple pages, and then she suddenly changes...more
"Words can be worrisome, people complex,
motives and manners unclear,
Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right,
free from unkindness and fear."
—Blueberry Girl
Blueberry Girl is a lovely, poetically expressed hope for one newborn girl, that she will grow forward as her life progresses and come out on the other side of all the inevitable hardships better and stronger. Blueberry Girl is a quiet, fervent wish that the girl will be discerning, that she will be able to deal with those around her...more
motives and manners unclear,
Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right,
free from unkindness and fear."
—Blueberry Girl
Blueberry Girl is a lovely, poetically expressed hope for one newborn girl, that she will grow forward as her life progresses and come out on the other side of all the inevitable hardships better and stronger. Blueberry Girl is a quiet, fervent wish that the girl will be discerning, that she will be able to deal with those around her...more
Oh Neil Gaiman. Most times people think a "muse" is someone who inspires a creative person to do great things. Sometimes though, we mistake a hot redhead who makes us want to fuck for a "muse," and these "anti-muses" are responsible for some horrible, horrible creative blunders. Believe me, Mr. Gaiman, I've been there myself.
But seriously? The rest of us poor bastards with sexy redhead anti-muses have the good sense to recognize the horrible things they make us think are good ideas for what the...more
But seriously? The rest of us poor bastards with sexy redhead anti-muses have the good sense to recognize the horrible things they make us think are good ideas for what the...more
6 likes · like · see review
So filled with love are these pages, and so sincere the words. I read "Blueberry Girl" in Barnes and Noble and nearly cried there, sitting cross-legged on the floor among the bookshelves. It is a poetic ode to little girls everywhere and not in a "sugar and spice and everything nice" sort of way. Rather, Gaiman knows what really matters, and writing with a true tenderness rarely seen in his other work, he presents a baby girl with beautifully crafted wish for a childhood filled with joy and peac...more
What is it that we hope for when we think of our daughters? That they grow up to be strong young women? That they find joy in the every day things of life? That they can weather the storms that we know are coming? How do we express our hope for our children?
These questions float around in all parents' heads. But Neil Gaiman has turned these thoughts into a wonderful poem. Gaiman wrote a lovely poem Blueberry Girl for a good friend who pregnant and having a daughter. Now he has published it, with...more
These questions float around in all parents' heads. But Neil Gaiman has turned these thoughts into a wonderful poem. Gaiman wrote a lovely poem Blueberry Girl for a good friend who pregnant and having a daughter. Now he has published it, with...more
I've never been a fan of Charles Vess's illustrations. He's a good choice for drawing fairies and sprites, but there always seems to be something feline and goblinlike about his characters, even the normal human ones. In fact, that's why I prefer the unillustrated version of [title:Stardust] to the graphic novel, and why I was less than enthused when I found out he was doing the paintings for this book.
But there's a first time for everything, I guess. I loved everything about this book, includin...more
But there's a first time for everything, I guess. I loved everything about this book, includin...more
I picked up this book as a gift to one of my goddaughters, but one glimpse at a fragment of the content told me this is not exactly the kind of bedtime picture book I imagine my friend reading and showing her toddler when they’re on their way to Dreamland. So I put it back to the shelf—but not without reading it first.
If you’re thinking this book is in the same vein as Coraline or The Graveyard Book, you’re mistaken—it doesn’t have talking cats or ghost poster parents or frost giants. It is a si...more
If you’re thinking this book is in the same vein as Coraline or The Graveyard Book, you’re mistaken—it doesn’t have talking cats or ghost poster parents or frost giants. It is a si...more
I first heard of the Blueberry Girl when attending Neil Gaiman’s book tour of The Graveyard Book (Newbery Winner) in Boulder. At the end of the program he treated us to a reading of the Blueberry Girl. He said that when Tori Amos was expecting her little girl she called him up and asked if he would write a prayer for her future daughter. Tori would call her baby bump a blueberry and from that Neil wrote this poem. Later he paired with illustrator Charles Vess to create this picture book. It is a...more
“Words can be worrisome, people complex, motives and manners unclear, Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right, free from unkindness and fear.”
“Let her tell stories and dance in the rain, somersault, tumble and run, Her joys must be as high as her sorrows are deep. Let her grow like a weed in the sun.”
This beautiful picture book is a rare diversion from Gaiman’s usual darker works. It reads as a loving poem of hopes for the future of an unborn girl baby, her emotional and personal growth, a...more
“Let her tell stories and dance in the rain, somersault, tumble and run, Her joys must be as high as her sorrows are deep. Let her grow like a weed in the sun.”
This beautiful picture book is a rare diversion from Gaiman’s usual darker works. It reads as a loving poem of hopes for the future of an unborn girl baby, her emotional and personal growth, a...more
"Blueberry Girl" is a short picture book depicting a prayer Neil Gaiman wrote for his friend Tori Amos' soon-to-be-born daughter. Charles Vess' lovely illustrations depict scenes of playing/exploring girls and women around text wishing the best kind of life for the beloved "Blueberry Girl."
This book is intended for the picture book crowd (preschool on up, roughly), although the book may resonate more for adult mothers than for the children themselves.
This book is a good fit for a public library...more
This book is intended for the picture book crowd (preschool on up, roughly), although the book may resonate more for adult mothers than for the children themselves.
This book is a good fit for a public library...more
I've been reading this to my now 3 year old daughter for over a year now. We both love the illustrations and I love the message it gives. My daughter now recites the book with me as I read. It's become a favorite in this house.
I watched the video version, I have to be honest - I didn't like it.
I appreciate the good thoughts and words infused, but I didn't like "blueberry girl". There was no mention of the fruit in the story, why put it in the title?
It's not that I don't like blueberries, but I think naming a child after a fruit at least deserves a fruity kinda story. It makes more sense.
Else, it's disjointed and quite meaningless.
I didn't like the poetry/ prose either. They're supposed to be inspiring, lighthearted an...more
I appreciate the good thoughts and words infused, but I didn't like "blueberry girl". There was no mention of the fruit in the story, why put it in the title?
It's not that I don't like blueberries, but I think naming a child after a fruit at least deserves a fruity kinda story. It makes more sense.
Else, it's disjointed and quite meaningless.
I didn't like the poetry/ prose either. They're supposed to be inspiring, lighthearted an...more
The prose and illustrations in this book seem like an attempt to cash in on a private letter between Neil Gaiman and a close friend. While some of Gaiman's prose and the illustrations from the talented Charles Vess come together for a couple of nice sentiments, it's not really a universally appealing concept. In fact, it's a bit creepy. I first heard Gaiman read this poem at a library event in 2008. He wrote it for his friend Tori Amos; she and her husband had asked him to write a poem for their...more
I added this book to my Amazon wishlist last year and forgot about it. Last week a friend highly recommended it to me. I picked it up from the library yesterday and was completely swept away! This book is so powerful and beautiful. To begin with, the illustrations are very magical. The story, though, is absolutely fantastic. Publisher's Weekly describes the book as "a magical blessing, for unconventional girls." It's a wish for this young girl to grow up strong, independent, beautiful, creative,...more
My first Neil Gaiman book. Probably won't be the last. The non-religious prayer that he gifts readers with in Blueberry Girl is one of the most moving things I've ever read. If you have a daughter, buy this book.
This is a deeply personal choice for me.
I bought it, as Gaiman all but suggests one does, when my wife was pregnant with our daughter, and I gave it to her as a gift not long before the baby was born. I gave it to her on a night when the anxieties and expectations and physical fears and pains had all conspired to try and rob her of all the strength a woman needs to keep going on with what seems like a metric ton of human life breaking your back and consuming your soul. That night, reciting the w...more
I bought it, as Gaiman all but suggests one does, when my wife was pregnant with our daughter, and I gave it to her as a gift not long before the baby was born. I gave it to her on a night when the anxieties and expectations and physical fears and pains had all conspired to try and rob her of all the strength a woman needs to keep going on with what seems like a metric ton of human life breaking your back and consuming your soul. That night, reciting the w...more
I got this book because I love Gaiman's writing. I also got it because, at the time, my daughter was eating a package of blueberries every 2 days. Upon reading this book, I realized that it is an excellent book for little girls and the parents of little girls. Neil Gaiman pours All of his wishes for his daughters into one poetic book, with gorgeous illustrations. Upon reading this, I could tell that Gaiman is a feminist at heart. That made me feel good, as I wish for my daughter to grow up stron...more
I bought this for a friend shen she found out she was having a baby. I really wanted one for myself as well, but could only afford one. So I had to content myself with reading her copy before I gave it to her! HA I gave her a second-hand book as a gift!
AND
I am having trouble trying to put this book on the shelves I have chosen to include in my goodreads library. It doesn't really fit anywhere. I think I will have to invent some more shelves. Just think of what you would get if you crossed a Nei...more
AND
I am having trouble trying to put this book on the shelves I have chosen to include in my goodreads library. It doesn't really fit anywhere. I think I will have to invent some more shelves. Just think of what you would get if you crossed a Nei...more
Jun 24, 2011
Emily
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone, especially girls and their mothers and fathers
Shelves:
great-children-s-books,
all-time-favorites
I am passionate about children's literature and I can honestly say this is one of the best children's books I've ever read. It's in the style of a prayer/poem for a daughter aka the 'blueberry girl'. I won't explain what the prayer is, because Mr. Gaiman does it so much better than I could, so suffice it to say it's excellent. In the style of all great children's story books, it is simple but beautiful. The writing itself is excellent, the sentiment is heartwarming and the illustrations are spot...more
As a mother of a girl and as a former girl:) I applaud Gaiman's wish for the daughters of our world. I am impressed by his insight into the world of women and girls - to wish for the blueberry girl the foresight to overcome the "dull days of forty" and "false friends at fifteen." To hope that she be free from "unkindness and fear." As I read this with my 7 year-old, I was struck by the beautiful illustrations but more so by the truth of the words. This book will stay with my Grace, and will be a...more
I would recommend this book for any grade level. Gaiman displays his versatility in this book of poetry about a little girl growing up and the magical women in her life that shelter and guide her through life. Help her to help herself,/ help her to stand,/ help her to lose and to find./ Teach her we're only as big as our dreams./ The book is very much like a fairytale. Gaiman used his profound writing style to pen this beautiful yet intricate book about growing up. This is a fun read - try not t...more
This beautifully illustrated picture book celebrates the pregnancy of a young woman and tells of her hopes for her daughter's life and happiness. The girls in the story are of many races, giving the book a multicultural aspect. Children will have fun watching the owl participate in the story - he is shown with the girl on most pages.
I would recommend this book to expectant mothers as well as to mothers with young daughters. It is a wonderful way to show the love of a mother for her daughter(s)....more
I would recommend this book to expectant mothers as well as to mothers with young daughters. It is a wonderful way to show the love of a mother for her daughter(s)....more
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“Words can be worrisome, poeple complex, motives and manners unclear, grant her the wisdom to choose her path right, free from unkindness and fear.”
—
21 people liked it
“Let her tell stories and dance in the rain, somersault, tumble and run, her joys must be high as her sorrows are deep, let her grow like a weed in the sun.”
—
18 people liked it
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Nov 16, 2009 03:45am