Picture Book Thursday: Thanksgiving Books

One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale
Written by Judy Cox
Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler
Holiday House
Age Range 4-9 years

This Is the Feast
Written by Diane Z. Shore
Illustrated by Megan Lloyd
Harper Collins Publishers
Age Range 4-9 years

Gus, the Pilgrim Turkey
Written by Teresa Bateman
Illustrated by Ellen Joy Sasaki
Albert Whitman & Company
Age Range 4-9 years

Hi folks.  So I hop in the car to head home the other night and after a few minutes of singing along to the radio, I realize it’s a Christmas carol that I’m singing.  Now I’m all about being in a Christmas mood after Thanksgiving but not right after Halloween!   I want to enjoy the season, savor the food and goodwill, not rush through it all.  So rather than skip by Thanksgiving in this mad race we seem to be in, I’m highlighting some Thanksgiving books for you to enjoy.  That’s right, I’m not trying to speed through the season by reviewing Christmas or Valentine’s or the Fourth.  It’s just good old turkey and dumpling time folks, so pull in your chair, tuck in that napkin, and loosen your belt.  It’s all about Turkey Day.

One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale
Oh Mouse, your eyes are bigger than your stomach.  This little guy starts off going after one toothsome green pea, and the next thing you know his menu of table scraps is fit to rival the foods of the Very Hungry Caterpillar.  While he loses most of his harvest, he’s spared from being eaten himself, and that green pea becomes quite a feast. Children are certain to enjoy retelling the story as they list the various foods Mouse collected.

This Is the Feast
This title is destined to become a traditional read aloud in the classroom.  Gorgeous illustrations filled with fall colors and Pilgrims at work and play, coupled with a rhyming text make this book a real treasure.  The page featuring oak trees, “bundled in snow, felled for the houses as winter winds blow,” actually reminds me of a Bruegel.  The amount of research that went into this book is seen in the careful details of the pictures.  I’d be truly surprised if you don’t feel like visiting Plimoth Plantation after reading this book.

Gus, the Pilgrim Turkey
Poor Gus.  One minute he’s enjoying the simple things in life, like playing in the sprinkler, and the next he’s on the run.  Throughout his travels he’s met by the hungry leers of folks who want to make a meal of him.  It’s not until an accidental trip to the South Pole that he finds some unlikely friends that take him under their collective wings.

This quirky title had me smiling throughout, especially when Gus witnesses the frenzy surrounding a colorful bird piñata.  “The horror, the horror!”  And the illustrations hit their stride with curious penguins welcoming Gus to their winter wonderland.

Activity
Download clipart images of a pea, a cranberry, an olive, a carrot stick, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie and turkey.  Print them out on cardstock and laminate them before giving them to students to retell the story of One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale.

And with that image I leave you to mull over thoughts of pies and stuffing and I’ll see you at the Round-Up tomorrow.