Read both Beskow books with W in one evening, starting in the bath and finishing on dry land before bed. We both found them charming, I was reminded specifically of Crowley's Little, Big. We'll see if we revisit them. ( )

Rather twee and old-fashioned, and I can't imagine today's kids liking it. ?áBut the motif of Littles" and "Borrowers" and "Indians in Cupboards" and "Thumbelina" and Inchkin" is certainly a popular one. ?áOh I wish children still wore smocks; Peter's blue and white one is so cute.

"Mind you pick those berries carefully," warned Mrs. Cranberry, who could be sharp at times."

On second thought, some fans of Jan Brett might like this." ( )

Originally published in Sweden as Puttes Äventyr i Blåbärsskogen, this classic picture-book first appeared in 1901, and has been delighting children at home and abroad ever since! Elsa Beskow, whose work is so highly regarded in her native country, that Sweden's annual award for the best illustrated children's book is named in her honor, here weaves an enchanting tale of a young boy who sets out to gather a basket each of blueberries and cranberries, as a birthday gift for his mother. When there are no berries to be found, Peter despairs, only to find himself consoled by the tiny King of Blueberry Land, who shares the wonders of his kingdom (and his seven sons) with the delighted boy. Why, there's even a visit to Mrs. Cranberry's home!

Peter in Blueberry Land was just delightful, and I suspect that, with its tale of a child being shrunk down to a tiny size, I would have considered it a real favorite, had I first encountered it as a girl! The illustrations are simply darling - I particularly liked Mrs. Cranberry's five daughters - reminding me a bit of the work of another great picture-book artist of this period, Sibylle von Olfers. I do wish that the translator (unnamed, in the Floris Books reprint I read) had retained the original lingonberries, rather than changing them to cranberries, as I do love the former, but other than that, this is a charming book, one that offers almost unalloyed pleasure to the reader, young or old. ( )

A really endearing and innocent story of a little boy experiencing the beauty of nature. The illustrations are from the frog perspective, the boy being quite small, like an inch or something. Reading the story kind of makes me feel like being a kid again lying down in the grass looking at flowers and bugs around me and above me. Fresh and wonderful. ( )