Turkey Time: Gobble, Gobble, Tucker! Leslie McGuirk

TUCKER IS NAPPING ONE FALL DAY WHEN HE CATCHES A WHIFF OF SOMETHING DELICIOUS.

Instantly, Tucker knows that there is turkey in the oven.

And that means that this must be Thanksgiving Day!

From that moment little mutt's tummy is tuned to turkey! He heads for the kitchen, where all the action is, and hangs around, hoping one of the cooks drops a delicious morsel on the floor, where he'll be glad to help clean up.

Tucker is right there as a girl sets the dining room table and fashions a cornucopia centerpiece. When the doorbell signals an arriving guest, Tucker dashes to the door to roll over and hint that he'd like a belly rub.

Then the turkey comes to the table and Tucker and the other pets take their seats underneath, hoping to harvest a handout. The wait is so long! The guests talk and eat and laugh, but no turkey is handed down.

But after the dogs have dutifully waited, it's time to clear the table, and then--it's leftover time, and a big plate of doggy goodies materialize before their eyes. Time to tuck in, Tucker!

WHAT A PERFECT DAY!

TUCKER IS ALREADY DREAMING OF NEXT YEAR!

Leslie McGuirk's brand new Gobble, Gobble, Tucker! (Candlewick Press, 2014), offers a homey holiday story from the canine point-of-view, as Tucker pitches in and tries to be patient, not easy since a dog's nose is so sensitive to that delicious turkey aroma. McGuirks's quaint and old-fashioned comic illustrations and sweetly-portrayed Thanksgiving traditions makes this book a fine family read for turkey time.

Other holiday stories starring Tucker are Tucker's Spooky Halloween, Ho, Ho, Ho, Tucker!, and Tucker's Valentine.