Jam and Jelly by Holly and Nelly Written By: Gloria Whelan and Illustrated By: Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen

Whelan, G. (2002). Jam and Jelly by Holly and Nelly. Sleeping Bear Press.

The cover illustration of this picture book is rich with realism and warm tones of color. I was pulled in by the cover and then I saw that it was also a VA Young Reader Selection, so I knew that this book was a selection to peruse. I am struck throughout the book how the light is played upon the scenes and characters, and I find that I feel connected to the characters simply because they are initially inviting via the painting technique from Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. The pictures compliments the lyricism of the written word of Whelan, who herself is a poet by nature. The text written by Gloria Whelan is rich with sentences and phrases worth remembering, such as, “Hunkered down under the braken fern I’m eye to eye with a daddy-longlegs walking on stilts and a green beetle so shiny he looks like he turned a light on inside himself.” The story is about a little girl named Holly who lives in the northern part of Michigan with her family. The setting is gorgeous throughout the book, everchanging to show nature’s splendor. Whelan’s description compliments the detailed and realistic pictures, and makes me hear and see the action unfolding. Holly and her mama enjoy the summer and collect berries throughout the season to make a variety of berry jams and jellies. The simplicity of living off the land and appreciating nature is emphasized in this story’s tone. In the end, her papa has built a surprise for them, which is a stand to display and sell their jams and jellies in the fall. She sells them all, and in turn, can get a coat and boots so she can attend school during the harsh winter and so she won’t have “big holes” in her learning like her mother. Education is valued, and through persistence and hard work, she earns money for the much needed items. The story closes with, “What keeps me warmest of all is remembering the smell of strawberries, the busy river, the raspberry pie, the colors of blueberries, sleepy bumblebees, and Papa’s surprise.” This sums up the passing of the seasons and the course of the story in a lovely way. I think that this story would be wonderful to read to a generation who doesn’t take the time to notice the simple, free things in life as much as generations in the past had to in order to survive. I will be sharing this with my class!