Go For It! The Great Thanksgiving Escape by Mark Fearing

IT WAS ANOTHER THANKSGIVING AT GRANDMA'S.

Gavin drops off their casserole in the kitchen and is ushered by his mom to his assigned station--the combination coat room and kiddies' room, a bedroom mostly populated by crawling and toddling babies with suspiciously sagging diapers and drooly pacifiers. Luckily, Gavin's audacious cousin Rhonda is already there, looking woeful. She grabs Gavin's hand with an appealing idea:

"WHAT DO YOU SAY WE BREAK OUT OF HERE AND HEAD FOR THE SWING SET IN THE BACKYARD?

THE WAY I SEE IT, GAVIN," SHE SAYS, "SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN FUN!"

But there are obstacles. First, they have to escape without a toddler on their tails. Gavin and Rhoda adopt protective cover (somebody's overcoats), and trying to blend in with the natives, crawl stealthily for the door.

But once outside, the conspirators find that there is a maze of hazards to navigate. First there is the dreaded "Hall of Aunts!" Rhonda remembers having to ice her face after the marathon of cheek pinching there last year. Then they discover that the front door is guarded by several scary guard dogs, all pretending to be fat and lazy pets snoozing on the rug. Deciding to let sleeping dogs lie, they head for the back door, only to find more gabbing, snacking, guffawing relatives blocking the way.

OH, NO! THE GREAT WALL OF BUTTS!

Avoiding the den where there is a squad of uncles yelling "Hit 'im!" at the football game on TV, Gavin and Rhonda decide it's better to try to sneak out the through the basement rec room. But seated on the floor down there are a group of teen-aged, vacant-eyed, slack-jawed creatures, all staring, mesmerized, and poking mechanically at a variety of electronic screens.

"ZOMBIES! THEY'LL EAT OUR BRAINS!" WHISPERS RHONDA DRAMATICALLY.

It's not easy being a young 'tweener who just wants a place to play at the family Thanksgiving. There's no place to have their kind of fun except outside, where now it's... raining!

"THE WAY I SEE IT, RHONDA," GAVIN DARES HER,

"SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN FUN!"

Mark Fearing' The Great Thanksgiving Escape (Candlewick Press, 2014) pokes good-natured fun at the perils of the family holiday assemblage from the viewpoint of the elementary-aged guests in a story that strikes a chord with kids and with adults who remember trying to escape with their cousins and have some FUN at the feast. Fearing's cartoon characters are spoofy but recognizable family types, shown mostly from a kid's eye view as the two young escape artists make a break for it. "Fearing's first solo picture book, based on his memories of Thanksgivings past, is a hoot for all ages," says Kirkus Reviews.

Thankful: Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving by James and Kimberley Dean

PETE TOOK HIS PLACE AT THE FRONT OF THE GIANT SHIP THAT HIS CLASS HAD MADE OUT OF CARDBOARD.

PETE WAS A PILGRIM ON THE MAYFLOWER. 

The "it's-all-good" Pete the Cat is just a little anxious about his class production of the Thanksgiving story for their parents in Dean and Kimberley Deane's new lift-the-flap book, Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving (HarperCollins, 2013).

But with flaps to help tell the story of the Pilgrims's first year in the New World, youngsters will be able to reveal the story step by step, beginning with the first page in which Pete, Pilgrim hat and all, boards their ship, the Mayflower, sails furled, and by lifting the flap, they can see the ship under sail, bounding over the waves toward North America, in calm waters and then in rough seas.

At their destination each page reveals Pete and his fellow students as colonists building cabins, shivering through the hard winter, learning about corn, beans, squash, and especially pumpkins from Squanto, and finally inviting the Wampanoags to join them in thanksgiving for their first harvest.

Using a tablecloth flap, youngsters will see the long table being readied, and with a lift of the flap, see the bounty from their harvest spread on the board for the Pilgrims and their guests.

"WOW! I NEVER THOUGHT HOW HARD IT WAS BACK THEN!" said Pete, as he and Callie Kitten take their  bows.

For fans of Pete the Cat it's fun  to see Pete, walking in his Pilgrim shoes, and learning about the first Thanksgiving in one of those Pilgrim celebrations that are familiar to most early childhood education classes.  The familiar icons of the holiday are there--Pilgrim hats, corn and pumpkins, turkey and berries, and those important Native American guests for the first Thanksgiving--to help give young children a sense of the flow of the holiday's history with each lift of a flap.  Kimberley Dean's familiar flat, faux naif drawings fit right in with the target audience's own classroom artwork, and the story of the class play will help kids in their first presentations feel right at home with Pete performing along with them.

Thankful: Thanksgiving Day Thanks by Laura M. Elliott and Lynn Munsinger

"THANKSGIVING IS COMING," SAID SAM'S TEACHER MRS. WRIGHT.

"WHAT ONE SPECIAL THING ABOUT THE HOLIDAY WOULD YOU GIVE THANKS FOR?"

As the extroverts in the classroom start blurting out their favorites--football, sweet potatoes with marshmallows,shopping the sales--Mrs. Wright offers a group assignment as well.

"HOW SHOULD WE CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING IN OUR CLASS?"

Jeffrey advocates a special classroom Pilgrim feast. Tiffany is excited about wearing costumes. But Winston has what seems at first like an odd idea--his grandmother's yarn Thanksgiving turkey!

"EEEWWWW! YOU EAT YARN TURKEY?" shouts one class comic.

"NO. ITS A DECORATION. WE WRITE WHAT WE'RE THANKFUL FOR ON A PAPER FEATHER AND STICK IT IN THE TURKEY," Winston explained calmly.

Mrs. Wright loves Winston's idea and Winston promises to bring the yarn turkey for their celebration, and the rest of the kids soon get busy on their own projects. Nicole irons bright autumn leaves inside waxed paper for placemats, Winston makes a miniature Mayflower from popsicle sticks, and Mary Ann makes a Indian beaded headband and practices with her toy bow and arrow.

But Sam is a a kid who takes a long time to make up his mind about things. While everyone else is bubbling with ideas for the celebration, he is stumped. What is he most thankful for? What special thing about Thanksgiving is his favorite? Time is running out. But at last Sam has one idea he thinks his classmates will like a lot.

On the day of their celebration, Sam arrives at school with his project, four helium balloons--a dog, cat, frog, and a turkey-- to reproduce the Thanksgiving Day Parade on television. He ties them to a tree outside the classroom so that they will be a big surprise for his class. When it's time, he slips out to get his project and the kids are excited as the colorful balloons pass by their window, but before Sam can get them through the door, a powerful autumn wind pulls the strings out of his hand and they float away. Oh, no!

But acting quickly, his best friend Mary Ann rushes out with her bow and sends a suction cup arrow on a string up to stick on the dog balloon and pull it down. Sam is grateful, but he is despondent that his project is reduced to a one-dog parade, until Mrs. Wright asks him why the Thanksgiving morning parade is so special for him.

"MY WHOLE FAMILY WATCHES IT TOGETHER. GRANDPOP TELLS ABOUT GOING TO NEW YORK CITY FOR THE PARADE WHEN HE WAS LITTLE.

WE LAUGH A LOT."

And suddenly, Sam knows what he going to write on his two feathers--that he is thankful for his family and for friends like Mary Ann in Laura Malone Elliott's second Sam story, Thanksgiving Day Thanks (Katherine Tegen Books, 2013). As in the first book, A String of Hearts, hesitatin' Sam learns a little more about what is in his own heart, and his class and young readers learn a lot about the history and customs of our historical holiday along the way. Author Elliott appends two sections, "A Note about Thanksgiving," and "Other Thanksgiving Facts" which cover the history of our Thanksgiving observance from the very beginning right down to the traditional opening day of Christmas shopping customs.

Veteran artist Lynn Munsinger, famous for her charming young animal cartoon characters in classics such as the Tacky the Penguin books and the Hooway for Wodney Wat stories, vividly portrays the varied personalities in Sam's classroom and the qualities each brings to the mix in a way that young readers will recognize. As Booklist's reviewer says, "Bolstered by warm watercolor cartoon illustrations, this book is a perfect delivery system for a wealth of knowledge about Thanksgiving, with the story suggesting that family and friends are the main things to be thankful for."

For pre-Thanksgiving readaloud sessions, this one pairs well with Marc Brown's similarly themed classic Arthur's Thanksgiving (Arthur Adventure Series).

Thankful: Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson



BEAR IS BORED, BORED, BORED. . .
HE MISSES HIS FRIENDS.

It’s chilly outside. Autumn leaves swirl in the cold wind, but the weather is not Bear’s problem. He’s at loose ends and he longs for some company. 

I COULD MAKE A BIG DINNER!

A FEAST I COULD SHARE!
BUT HE LOOKS THROUGH HIS CUPBOARD,
AND HIS CUPBOARD IS BARE.

It’s hard to play the host when Bear's festive board looks to be bare. What is Bear going to do?

But, as always, Bear is surprised by his friends. One by one they stop by with goodies – Mouse comes in with a yummy-looking huckleberry pie, Hare appears with a mess of muffins, and Badger strolls in with his fishing pole, and presents Bear with his catch of fresh fish. Not to be outdone, Mole and Gopher tunnel in with an array of honey and nuts to share.

No sooner has Bear sheepishly said “thanks” to his generous chums when a few feathered friends flutter in – Owl, Wren, and Raven -- bringing fresh pears and some herbs to brew a pot of tea.

Bear is thankful, but still embarrassed that he has nothing to bring to the feast. But Mouse knows just what to say.

“DON’T FRET, DEAR BEAR.
YOU HAVE STORIES TO SHARE.”

AND BEAR SAYS “THANKS!”

Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman have a brand-new Bear story, just in time for our own Thanksgiving feasts. As we all know, a feast with family and friends is always better when everyone contributes their special treats to the table, and in their Bear Says Thanks(Simon & Schuster, 2012), Chapman’s warm autumnal palette and Wilson’s gentle verses will make everyone eager to get out those favorite fall tablecloths and candles, pile up the mini-pumpkins, and decide who brings which specialty dish the feast, ready to gather together to say...Thanks!

"A tender tale of friendship, timed for Thanksgiving," says Kirkus Reviews.

Thankful: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) (Junie B. First Grader) by Barbara Park

Herb looked at the board and sighed."I have a feeling Mr. Scary really hates our Thankful List."

May threw back her head. "Of course, he hates our Thankful List! Just look how stupid it is!"

1. CRANBERRY JELLY (SHAPED JUST LIKE THE CAN)
2. EXPLODING BISCUITS (THE KIND THAT COME IN A TUBE)
3. NIPSY DOODLES
4. RAINBOW SPRINKLES
5. TOILET PAPER
6. MONEY

"I don't see the problem," I said. "I think we have a nice little assortment there."

Mr. Scary had high hopes that his Room One (the "most creative first graders he's ever had") would be the only first grade ever to win the prize for the best Thankful List. What is it about their suggestions that is making Mr. Scary's face all reddish and maddish and his hair wildish and spriggish? He gets an even funnier look on his face when Sheldon shows him a picture of the turkey he's most thankful for--Larry, year before last's main course, on the platter, just before being devoured. Ever the primary grade optimist, Mr. Scary gives his concept of thankfulness one more shot:

"In our country we're lucky to have freedom," he said. "Freedom is one reason the Pilgrims came to America." He looked around the room. "Did anyone put freedom on your Thankful List?"

Roger stood up. "We're only six," he said. "We don't really have any freedom."

He thought for a second. "I'm not even allowed to cross the street by myself."

Mr. Scary has a pedagogic epiphany. Grownups may not award the prize to his class, but it's an honest list of what first graders are truly thankful for, and in its own way it speaks volumes about what Americans have to be thankful for. Mr. Scary semi-cheerfully adds Snausages (the treat that saved Shirley's dog Stinky's life when they hid his medicine inside them) and Junie B's and May's strangely identical and equally beloved stuffed elephants, Phillip Johnny Bob and Captain Police Sargeant Chuck, to the list on the blackboard.

May, ever the prim would-be teacher's pet, just has to point out that no grown-up judges are going to award the blue ribbon to Room One for that list, but the rest of the class doesn't mind, since the prize is a giant pumpkin pie made by lunch-lady Gladys Glutzman, and they all agree that pumpkin pie is yucky anyway.

But Mr. Scary is in for a surprise--and so is Room One when they actually agree to taste Mrs. Glutzman's prize-winning pastry at the Family Feast, in Barbara Park's long awaited new Junie B. book, Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) (Junie B. Jones, No. 28) (Random House, 2012), already on its way to best-seller status. Get this Thanksgiving treat while it's hot, in plenty of time for the thankful season, because Mr. Scary's Room One is a real winner, and readers will be thankful for this delish holiday addition to a notable series.

Puppy Treat: Marley: A Thanksgiving to Remember by John Grogan

MARLEY WAS SO EXITED!

TODAY THE FAMILY WOULD PREPARE A HUGE THANKSGIVING FEAST. THERE WOULD BE MANY DELICIOUS THINGS TO EAT.

MARLEY COULD HARDLY WAIT.

But after seeing the mess and mayhem the excitable puppy has made of Christmas and Halloween preparations, maybe the Grogans should have opted for dinner at Grandma's this year. But the Grogans, as we know, are either eternal optimists or lacking a bit in short-term memory, and so, with little Marley in the middle of everything, they forge on to procure and prepare their family feast.

The best-selling John Grogan's newest, Marley: A Thanksgiving to Remember (Harper Festival, 2011), features this unflappable family in a new flap book entry.a design device which turns Thanksgiving morning into a game of hide-and-seek, to the delight of Cassie and Baby Louie.

First, Cassie has to find Marley's leash, hidden under the pup's turkey chew toy, and then all the Grogans stop everything to look for the car keys (under the doormat flap) and Mom's all-important grocery list (in the laundry basket), courtesy, of course, of Marley. They get no further than the car when Baby Louis misses his blankie, but this time it's Marley to the rescue, and when the front door flap is opened, Marley has it all ready for him, as if he knew Louie couldn't go anywhere without it.

Back home, there's a search for the bag of stuffing mix, hiding in the pantry with guilty parties Baby Louie and Marley. Marley continues his "help" right up to the point where the table is finally loaded with the feast and the family begins the ritual of telling each other what they are most thankful for.

"PUPPY!" SAID BABY LOUIE.

With the exception of the cover illustration (Marley doesn't actually stick a foot in the mashed potatoes in the text), artists Richard Cowdry and Rick Whipple do a journeyman job of providing lively illustrations for Marley: A Thanksgiving to Remember, and this inexpensive little paperback offers a bit of flap book fun which isn't too off-the-mark for families with a rambunctuous retriever pup determined to "enjoy" every aspect of an exciting holiday.

Monkey Shines: Happy Thanksgiving, Curious George by Cynthia Platt

PARADE HORNS BLOW!
DRUMS BEAT LOW.
THE PARADE IS HERE, OH, MY!

Charlie Brown has done it. Biscuit has done it. Even Arthur has been there and done that, too, and luckily we have the mischievous monkey Curious George in on the celebration as well. George might have been an immigrant from afar (the manuscript for the first book fled the Nazis in H.A. Rey's suitcase on the boat to America), but, hey, so did the Pilgrims, and so who could be better than he to join the festivities at this most American of holidays.

George wakes early on Thanksgiving Day to delicious smells from the kitchen where the Man in the Yellow Hat is already at work creating the traditional feast. George pitches in on the preparations, with the usual mixed results, heads outside to watch the local parade pass and gets in on the clowning and juggling. He makes handprint turkey decorations for the table, staggers with a precipitous stack of plates for the table, and remembers to be thankful for the blessings of the day.

Toddlers who are fans of the Curious George books, H.A. and Margret's originals and the subsequent spinoffs, will get a preview to the traditions of Thanksgiving and will be excited about taking part themselves when the big day rolls around. Cynthia Platt's and Julie Bartynski's Happy Thanksgiving, Curious George tabbed board book (Houghton Mifflin, 2010), with its easy rhymes and faithful illustrations, is a good way to begin the thankful season.

At the Children's Table: Fancy Nancy: Our Thanksgiving Feast by Jane O'Connor

OOO-LA-LA!

GRANDMA AND GRANDPA ARE HOSTING THANKSGIVING DINNER THIS YEAR!

What's fancier than a fancy dinner? A BANQUET!

Grandma has pulled out all the stops this year--her best china and crystal, sparkling silver and the whitest of white table linens, a giant turkey, her secret dressing and real cranberry sauce that doesn't come out of a can--and Nancy, her fancy-fancying granddaughter is very pleased. Nancy is the oldest of the cousins, and she can't wait to take her seat at that beautiful table to partake of the banquet!

Mais non! Nancy finds herself seated at the children's table, set, oh, woe, with a paper tablecloth, paper plates, and paper napkins!--with all the little cousins, her little sister JoJo and rest of the preschool bunch.

"BUT I'M SO MUCH MORE MATURE THAN JOJO AND MY COUSINS!" I SAY.

"I KNOW," POINTS OUT HER SENSIBLE MOM,"BUT THERE AREN'T ENOUGH CHAIRS AT OUR TABLE."

Nancy tries to be a good sport and tough it out despite her disappointment, eating with her pinkie up and dabbing at her mouth politely after each bite. However, JoJo forgets her manners altogether, puts her napkin on her head, and makes silly faces at the others, causing cousin Arthur to laugh until he spits cranberry juice all over the table. Nancy is appalled. How gouche!

Grandma is not unaware of Nancy's plight, and graciously offers to swap places with her so that she can keep a grandmotherly eye on the little ones, and Nancy gladly takes her place at last at the big table. Despite a little spillage from the gravy boat, Nancy makes it through the dinner with reasonable elegance, while the little kids chow down and finish way before the grownups are done with their second helpings. But Grandma has prepared for that predictable eventuality, too:

NOW EVERYONE AT THE KID'S TABLE IS COLORING WITH NEW CRAYONS AND PADS OF PAPER THAT GRANDMA BOUGHT FOR US. I'M NOT BRAGGING, BUT I AM A VERY TALENTED ARTIST.

"MAY I BE EXCUSED?" I ASK MY MOM. "I'M GOING TO HELP THEM DRAW STUFF."

Nancy can't resist those new art supplies and taking Grandma's place back at the kids' table, soon has everyone busy making turkeys by tracing their hands while the grownups get to enjoy coffee and conversation with their dessert. It's a real family Thanksgiving banquet, and Grandma's table has some new handprint Thanksgiving turkeys to treasure.

Jane O'Connor's newest Nancy holiday treat, Fancy Nancy: Our Thanksgiving Banquet (Harper Festival, 2011) is an warm and insightful look at Thanksgiving, with its deep family meaning as well as its gravy spills and cranberry splashes, as Nancy proves that she is the most mature cousin, no matter where she is seated at the Thanksgiving banquet.

Gobble? Over the River: A Turkey's Tale by Derek Anderson

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS

TO GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE WE GO!

But these prospective holiday feasters are no nineteen-century visitors looking forward to this year's version of Grandma's roasted turkey recipe. These trippers are turkeys themselves--Ma, Pa, and Baby Turkey, and the horse? Well, he "knows the way to carry the sleigh," all right, as he picks up his sled and "carries" it through the snow.

No further hints are needed to let the reader know that this is no ordinary run-through of Child's classic Thanksgiving lyrics. While trudging along o'er the snow, the turkey three meet up with the aforesaid horse and with a boy and his large, semi-scary-looking dog, who seem to be intent on making them his Thanksgiving dinner, and the chase is on!

In Derek Anderson's Over the River: A Turkey's Tale (Simon & Schuster) the fun is all in the contrast between the familiar staid lyrics of an old-fashioned visit to grandmother's, as portrayed by Anderson's Pilgrim-clad and portly turkeys, the little one looking not unlike the young Woody Allen, bespectacled and clutching his Pilgrim rag doll, fleeing through the woods in a melee of feathers and turkey feet from their supposed pursuers.

At the end, of course, theirs is a happy ending, with a fine vegetarian holiday feast for all, even the horse--"FOR THIS IS THANKSGIVING DAY!" It's a comic cartoon version with the best possible outcome for the turkeys, of course, and a few giggles for the reader as the hors d'oeuvre.

Serve this one as the appetizer for the real main course, perhaps Eve Bunting's savory A Turkey for Thanksgiving, Teresa Bateman's tasty A Plump and Perky Turkey, and Dav Pilkey's piquant and classic parody Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving (Bookshelf) for a full-fledged fillup of Turkey Day belly-laughs.

Not Ready for Prime Turkey Time: Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble by Abby Klein

"I have a problem.

A really, really big problem.

My class is doing a play for Thanksgiving, and I'm afraid I'll get the worst part!

Let me tell you about it."

It's an inconvenient truth that the star of many elementary Thanksgiving dramas is often the central symbol of the day--the turkey--a comically awkward critter at best who, as well as winding up being the main course of the feast, has a name which is also the slang synonym for "loser." When Freddy, the main character in Abby Klein's Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble (Ready, Freddy!), (Scholastic, 2008) learns from his know-it-all big sister that Mrs. Wushy has her first graders draw their roles for the performance from a hat, he immediately begins to obsess over the possibility that HE will have to be the turkey. "The turkey! NO WAY!" Freddy moans. His mom and dad make light of the odds and assure him that he'll do well even if he doesn't get to be an Indian brave, but Freddy still dreads the moment when he pulls that folded square out of the hat:

And there it was, in big letters. T-U-R-K-E-Y.

Of course, Max, the would-be class bully, takes this opportunity to compose a poem in Freddy's honor, which he gleefully recites to the giggles of the whole class:

"The turkey is a funny bird.
His head goes wobble, wobble, wobble,
And his only word is gobble, gobble, gobble."

But as always, with plenty of support from his family, excluding, as usual, his big sister Suzie, who comes up with several disaster scenarios for the reluctant thespian, and with a pep talk from his sympathetic principal, Mr. Prendergast, Freddy manages to pull off the performance with pizzazz, turning his turkey into a footlight triumph.

Author Abby Klein, an experienced Kindergarten and first-grade teacher, knows how to portray youngsters and write dialog which rings true in the school setting. Light-heartedly illustrated by John McKinley, this beginning chapter series continues to entice young readers, showing why Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble (Ready, Freddy!), is one of her long-running Ready, Freddy series, which now includes her latest for the Christmas season, The Perfect Present (Ready, Freddy!). Both of these books also include holiday games and crafts for young readers, as well her her trademark letters (FIN) hidden in each illustration.

Pilgrim Partners: We Gather Together....Now Please Get Lost! by Diane de Groat

His alarm clock doesn't go off, he spills his breakfast on his shirt, and even for Gilbert, it's a bad hair day.

But when he gets to school, the news is even worse. It's the day of the November field trip to Pilgrim Town, and since he's last one to school, he has to be the "bus buddy" of the class nerd Philip. Starving without his spilled breakfast, Gilbert tries to sneak a bite from his lunch on the bus, and Philip hastens to tattle, "I'm going to tell the teacher that you're eating on the bus!" Gilbert resigns himself to a dull ride and resolves to try to ditch Philip as soon as they arrive at the Pilgrim reenactment village.

Of course, the faithful Philip follows the rules, sticking to him like velcro, until in desperation Gilbert ducks quickly into a restroom and locks the door. With a sigh of relief, he settles down for a few minutes of peace while he waits for Philip to move on with the group.

But when he decides the coast is clear and tries to open the door, Gilbert finds that the lock is jammed and he's a prisoner.

Uh oh, Gilbert thought. If Philip didn't see him going into the bathroom, no one would know he was in there. Or worse--Philip might not tell anyone that Gilbert was missing and Gilbert would have to spend the whole night there. ALONE....

In this funny Thanksgiving school story from de Groat's popular Gilbert and Friends series, We Gather Together...Now Please Get Lost!, her hero Gilbert learns that are times when it's a very good thing to have someone around who does things by the book, and the doggedly dutiful Philip does not disappoint here.

This story of a school outing to study Pilgrim life makes a great classroom read-aloud experience for youngsters about to make a similar trip. Gilbert and his friends in Mrs. Bird's class are typical primary graders, and de Groat's appealing illustrations and authentic portrayals of life in the early grades are a good way to take kids through the significant events of the school year.

Turkey for Thanksgiving: Gracias, the Thanksgiving Turkey by Joy Cowley

Miguel is overjoyed when his truck-driver father sends a crated turkey with a note saying "Fatten this turkey for Thanksgiving. I'll be home to share it with you. Love from Papa."

Miguel and his grandparents, Abuelo and Abuela, set about taking good care of the turkey, appropriately named Gracias, moving him from a cage in the backyard to the bathroom when he is almost stolen. It's a bit of a problem sharing a bath with a turkey, but Miguel comes to love his pet, and although he longs to see his father, he begins to dread Thanksgiving.

"Can we get another turkey for Thanksgiving," Miguel pleads. "One that's already dead?"

As time goes by Gracias becomes a neighborhood pet, with Officer Devereaux rescuing him from a robber and the mowers at Central Park saving grass clipping for him. When Gracias gets loose and follows him right down the aisle at church, Padre Jaime ad libs a blessing for boy and pet, and the family agrees that it'll be chicken for their Thanksgiving dinner, since, as everyone agrees,

"You can't eat a turkey who's been blessed."

The family's cheerful coping with a wandering turkey and feathers in their bathroom creates a warm and cozy Thanksgiving scene, as Gracias is invited to join the family in some cornbread at the table. The day is complete when, just before bedtime, Miguel's father finally arrives to share the whole story of the turkey for Thanksgiving.

In this Hispanic take on the old "turkey at the table, not on the table" theme, Joe Cepeda's wonderful urban scenes and colorful family members evoke the charm of Ezra Jack Keats "Peter and Willie" stories. Gracias, The Thanksgiving Turkey is sure to become a staple on the Thanksgiving table.

Thankful: This Is the Feast by Diane Z. Shore

This is the Mayflower, sturdy and strong,
Her sails skim the skies as she journeys along.

These are the Pilgrims, down on their knees,
Seasick and frightened on rough rolling seas.

Land ho! America! World unknown.
Wilderness wild, a place to call home.

In cadence as familiar and sturdy as the ship that brought them to these shores, Diane Z; Shore's new This Is the Feast tells the familiar story, of settlers landing, Squanto helping, woodlands and cleared fields yielding their bounty, and the thankful feast which followed.

There is much information folded within the author's rhythmical lines which will anchor the facts of the first harvest festival in the minds of young readers.

These are the birch trees budding in spring,
Nestled with robins and the promise they bring.
These are the Indians, fearful, aware--
"Welcome," their greeting, approaching with care.

This is the seed corn, planted in mounds,
With herring to nourish the seeds in the ground.
This is Tisquantum, or Squanto, his name,
A keen-eyed Patuxet the plague didn't claim.

Shore gives the reader a chance to feel the joy of the settlers with their first harvest as she catalogs the bounty they bring in.

Crowded with cucumber, spinach, and beans
That sprouted near pumpkins and squash of all kinds,
That flowered the cape that was nurtured by hand.
Thanks be to God for this beautiful land.

Great as an introduction to young students or just as a chance to relive the holiday story again, This Is the Feast is a welcome addition to the body of Thanksgiving poetry for youngsters.

Two Turkeys at the Table: A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting and 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey

As Mrs. Moose decorates her Thanksgiving table with a fold-out crepe paper turkey, she confides to her genial husband that she's always wanted a real turkey for Thanksgiving. In his most earnest "yes, dear" manner, Mr. Moose sets out, guest list in hand, on a quest to satisfy his spouse's heart's desire.

Mr. Moose invites the neighbors to dinner--Porcupine, Rabbit, and the always ravenous Goat--as he plods through the frost-nipped landscape, and they join him in scouting out a turkey. At last they find one trying to hide behind warning signs ("No Turkey Here") in the tall grass by the river. Understandably unwilling to provide the provender for their Thanksgiving feast, Turkey resists arrest, but Mr. Moose propels the reluctant turkey homeward, where Mrs. Moose is most appreciative when she sees the appealing plumpness of his pick.

Of course, when the table is set with delicious vegetarian treats for the Mooses and their guests, Mr. Moose pushes Turkey into the guest of honor's seat, and Mrs. Moose solicitously murmurs that she hope he will find something to his taste at her table. Turkey, who has been sweating bullets over his fate, replies with great relief that he had feared the diners would only be concerned about HOW he would taste! All's well that ends well, and Mrs. Moose has her turkey for Thanksgiving at last.

Eve Bunting's take on this old story line flows effortlessly with gentle humor, and Diane deGroat's watercolors perfectly capture the pleasantly frigid autumn landscape and the cozy folkloric cottage interiors as her characters prepare to chow down on their harvest feast together.

For a wackier take on this plot line, humorist author and illustrator Dav Pilkey has a holiday offering which has real kid appeal. 'Twas the Night before Thanksgiving parodies the Clement Clark Moore classic with plenty of pizzaz. If the rhymes are a bit off and the scansion is less than Shakespearean, the vervey verse only adds to the hilarity.

A group of eight kids set forth in a stubby yellow school bus for a pre-Thanksgiving field trip to--you guessed it--Mack Nuggett's Turkey Farm, where they are introduced to the seemingly jovial farmer:

He was dressed all in denim
From his head to his toe,
With a pinch of polyester
And a touch of velcro.

The kids are then introduced to the turkeys,

Ollie, Stanley, Larry, Moe,
Wally, Beaver, and Groucho.

who gleefully join the kids in frolicking through a tour of the farm. But when the kids spot an anxiety-provoking axe gleaming at-the-ready nearby, they suddenly make the fatal connection between turkeys, axes, and Thanksgiving dinners and see that it's time to mount a turkey takeover. Suddenly the kids look a bit plumper, with turkey feet and feathers barely visible under their sweaters as they re-board the bus for the trip home.

When their families sit down for their holiday feast, the emancipated turkeys are at the table, not on it, as all "feast on veggies, with jelly and toast."

Pilkey packs in plenty of verbal and visual gags, such as his goofy illustration spoofing "American Gothic" and the pun on kids' favorite fast food in the farmer's name, which give older kids and grownups some bonus chuckles while the tale bounces along to its kindhearted conclusion. As he did in The Hallow-Wiener and in his holiday book for all seasons, The Dumb Bunnies' Easter, Pilkey's cheery slapstick style lightens up the holiday fun with plenty of laughs for all.

Chomp On: I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson

In a wild-and-crazy take off on the venerable There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, author Alison Jackson is off and running in this slapstick tribute to holiday gluttony!

As a plumpish relative appears at the door with her contribution to the feast, a pie, she jumps the gun and eats the whole thing before she crosses the threshold. Trouble is, the Thanksgiving pie is "really too dry," and she's forced to gulp down some "cider, that rumbled and mumbled and grumbled inside her." Seeking satiety, the old lady, to the amazement of the hosts and the incredulous delight of the watching kids, proceeds to put away rolls, a butternut squash, a salad ("which left her quite pallid") a whole turkey ("her future looking murky"), a huge stockpot, ("I kid you not") a cake ("for goodness sake"), and some bread ("I'm full," she said) before she finally stops.

By this time, her body has swollen to heroic proportions and is beginning to rise like a zeppelin. Not to worry, however. This old lady is put to proper Thanksgiving use: secured by mooring cables, she becomes an cheerfully bobbing blimp in the traditional Macy's Thanksgiving parade.

Children who hear this story begin to chime in on the cumulative refrain immediately, finishing each repetition with "the Thanksgiving pie which was really too dry! Perhaps she'll die!"

Judith Schachner's wiggly pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings capture all the over-the-top fun in this cheery tribute to hearty holiday chowing down. If you're planning a Thanksgiving dinner with plenty of children, I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie is the perfect guest, one that will get everyone in a jolly feasting mood.