Peter in Blueberry Land

Written By Karen Stinson

Written and illustrated by Elsa Beskow

Did you ever want to shrink to the size of an elf, go mouseback riding, and pick blueberries the size of apples? You can do all this and more when you join Peter on his magical adventure in Blueberry Land! 

Read more about it on Amazon

Elsa Beskow wrote and illustrated many other books, some magical and some based in the real world. Scroll down for more info about her and her books.

IDEAS FOR BRINGING PETER IN BLUEBERRY LAND ALIVE

1. Do I even have to say it? Go blueberry or cranberry picking!

2. Another obvious suggestion: Cook and bake with blueberries and cranberries! Here are a few of the many recipe ideas available online:

3. Play “I spy” in Blueberry Land. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • How many different kinds of forest creatures can you find in this book? Which one is your favorite?

  • Find three different modes of transportation that are used in Blueberry Land. Which looks like the most fun to you?

  • Find a picture of the birthday surprise Peter sets up for his mother. Could you do something like this for someone in your family?

4. What other magical adventures might Peter have in the world of nature? What kind of magical adventure would you like to have? Make up a story or draw a picture about your ideas!

5. Fun fact: In the original Swedish books, the red berries are lingonberries, not cranberries. They changed it in the English translation. In case you’re dying to know the difference, click here.  What's The Difference Between Cranberries And Lingonberries? Another fun fact: Swedish Fish are lingonberry flavor! So if you don’t get around to baking Blueberry Buckle or Cranberry Crisp, Swedish Fish are an unhealthy but fun book-related treat.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ELSA BESKOW’S BOOKS AND IDEAS FOR BRINGING THEM ALIVE

1. Click here for a short biography of Elsa Beskow and a complete list of all her books!

2. Do you want to literally see Elsa Brskow’s illustrations come to life before your eyes? Check out these fun videos that stick VERY closely to the images in her books. Yes, they’re in Swedish. But if you read the books first you will understand exactly what’s going on.

These three are a series: 

*Aunt Green, Aunt Brown, and Aunt Lavendar Tant grön, tant brun och tant gredelin (1968)

*Aunt Brown’s Birthday Tant Bruns födelsedag

*Peter and Lotta’s Adventure Petter och Lotta på äventyr

This is a magical winter/Christmas story!

*Ollie’s Ski Trip Olles skidfärd

3. You and your kids could make a simple video like this about one of Elsa Beskow’s stories (or any favorite book).

*The Tale of the Little, Little Old Woman Sagan om den lilla, lilla gumman./The story of the little little woman of Elsa Beskow.

4. How cool is this? Pianist Daniel Beskow (Elsa’s great-grandson) and vocalist Josefine Anderson made a beautiful album of songs based on Elsa Beskow’s books. Here’s an enchanting 5-minute video featuring some of the music along with Elsa’s illustrations and lovely images of nature. 

Here are some places you can listen to the album. It’s also available on CD.

Don’t understand Swedish? No worries. Click here to read the lyrics to the songs in English and see some of the pictures they’re based on.

5. This video shares some information about Elsa and her books, including a visit to a delightful interactive museum exhibit from 3:00 to 5:00. It could be fun to set up your own little Elsa Beskow world in your home or classroom - either child-size or doll/stuffed animal size. (Tip: the narrator speaks VERY slowly! Try increasing the playback speed!)

Here are some photos of the exhibit.

6.  Make Elsa Beskow-themed puzzles and games with these images and other copyright-free images available online. (Many of Elsa’s books are in the public domain.) 20 Free Whimsical Elsa Beskow PrintablesElsa Beskow calendars are another great source of her pictures for crafts or framing. If making your own puzzles and games sounds like too much work, you can buy them here. The Magic of Elsa Beskow - Challenge & Fun, Inc.

Book Guide copyright 2026 by K. A. Stinson. Feel free to use it in your home, classroom, book club, or homeschool and share it with others.

Karen Stinson
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