#402 of 1001 · September 6, 2021

For an appealing bit of historical fiction with more truth than meets the eye, pick up Blueberries for the Queen, written by husband and wife John and Katherine Paterson and illustrated by Susan Jeffers. William, a child living in Massachusetts during World War II, dearly wishes he were old enough to contribute to the war effort. When he learns that Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands has brought her family to America for safety and rented a nearby estate for the summer, he resolves to meet her. After gathering a basket of blueberries from his family’s field, he brings it to the grand house and presents it to the queen—an act he terms “peace work”. Jeffers renders William’s view of the world by depicting his extraordinary dreams, his moments of imagination, and his view of real events through a fantasy lens. The good will and earnest nature of a child in the face of wartime anxiety serve as the themes of this semi-autobiographical story, inspired by author John Paterson, who as a child really did bring blueberries to Queen Wilhelmina in the summer of 1942. #blueberries #queen #blueberry #worldwar2 #war #peace #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks