Synopsis
A tale that'll have you hollerin' “Rasssssspberrrrrrrieeeeees!”
Simon was once a baker so well known for his tasty treats, you might say he was famous. But the poor guy fell on hard times when the bakery closed. Then Simon meets a young girl whose family he once helped. As a thank-you, the enchanting girl gives Simon dried raspberries that turn out to be magical when planted. They're so sweet a person can't help but jump into the air and sing out, “Rasssssspberrrrrrrieeeeees!” This inspires Simon to sell the berries to a local baker and pretty soon the whole town has something to cheer about.
This tale, a favorite of Jay O'Callahan's storytelling fans, evokes marvelous responses from readers, as they enjoy the folk art of Will Moses and shout out along with the townsfolk. Raspberries! comes complete with an audio CD of the famous Jay O'Callahan reading the text.
Publishers Weekly
In a tale with the scope and ambition of a novel, O'Callahan (Herman and Marguerite) tells a pay-it-forward story about a failed baker, Simon, and his comeback. At Simon's lowest moment, after his second business goes up in flames, he's given a handful of dried raspberries by Sally, a poor woman whose family he had helped in better days. The village baker helps Simon make tarts with the raspberries that grow miraculously from Sally's gift. The tarts have a magical effect on anyone who eats them, from Old Mrs. Oddbones, “bent as a hairpin,” to Lucy Wooly, the town bully: every person who eats them begins to leap and dance, yelling, “Rasssssspberrrrrrrieeeeees!” (For emphasis, the word is set in curvy red script each time a character shouts it out.) Simon's reputation is restored, and his red hair, which he's been hiding under a hat, “shot up like firecrackers.” Moses's (Raining Cats and Dogs) naïve spreads capture an America of saltbox houses, flour sacks, horse carts and bunting on the village bandstand, while O'Callahan's enthusiasm, humor and sincerity point to the transformative power of kindness. Ages 3–5. (Sept.)