Bottled Sunshine

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

When Sammy is upset about the end of his summer vacation, Grandma dries
his tears and tells Sammy that they will bottle some sunshine for him to
take back home. Sammy is doubtful that this is possible, but together
they find the “sunniest blackberry patch on the whole island,” and
they pick basketfuls of berries. They make jam, which Sammy takes home
with him, but then puts on a shelf in his room and forgets. Later that
winter, a phone call comes to tell the family that Grandma has died.
Sammy is sadly reminiscing to his mother when he remembers his jar of
jam. Upon opening it he smells the “juicy summer blackberries.” The
youngster is instantly reminded of the summer day when he and Grandma
picked the berries and is comforted by the “bottled sunshine” and
his other memories of her.

I was completely captivated by the title of this book as well as the
idea that making jam with summer fruits is equivalent to bottling up
sunshine for dark winter nights. Unfortunately, both the story and the
illustrations are sort of bland, falling far short of the delicious
richness promised by the title. This is not a picture book that children
will want to read over and over again. That said, children who have lost
their own grandparents may find the book comforting and a helpful
starting point for bringing up memories of their beloved grandparents.
Recommended with reservations.