No comments about Mabon: Pagan Thanksgiving.

No comments about The Thanksgiving Visitor.

2 comments about Thanksgiving: A Harvest Celebration.

1. If you're looking for a book about Thanksgiving that presents the story in a respectful, Christian way, this is it. The main character is fictional, but the rest of the story is fact all the way. Beautiful illustrations give the book a soft, autumn feeling. And the author ties it all to why we celebrate Thanksgiving--not because it's a sweet story about some lucky English people, but because we want to offer our thanks and praise to God for providing for us.



2. I can appreciate well-illustrated picture books that also educate children. Thanksgiving, A Harvest Celebration is a fine example of how to teach history to kids through storytelling. This is one of those illustrated books that could be read aloud like a story to younger children, but also suitable for a 10 year old reader. The style and difficulty level is about similar to the American Girl books, although a bit shorter.
   
   This book tells the story of the Pilgrims' first year in America through the eyes of a fictional girl, Ellen Chilton. We learn about the voyage across the ocean, the establishment of a colony and the bitter hardships that these people faced throughout their first winter. Then we meet the Native Americans through Ellen, get a glimpse of how they taught the colonists valuable survival skills and befriended them. Finally, we witness the celebration at Harvest time, in which the people all came together to feast in gratitude to God for His provision and protection.
   
   Thanksgiving, A Harvest Celebration is one of those rare modern kids' Thanksgiving books that doesn't get sappy or cartoony; we see a realistic portrayal of likely historical events, both joyful and sad, although on the other hand we are spared the more gruesome details that would be cause for concern in a children's book. And here's something else you don't see much of nowadays ¡V direct acknowledgement to God as the "reason for the season" so to speak. God was, after all, a big factor in the Pilgrims' decision to come to America in the first place as well as their sustainer throughout. "Thanksgiving" is the name of the harvest feast celebration that was first in God's honor, to *give Him thanks*. Whether or not you're a believer, it is strange to avoid or cover up that simple historical fact, and I'm thankful that this book doesn't try.
   
   So if you're looking for a way to teach your children about the original Thanksgiving, I can recommend this book as a great start in that direction. Adults may even learn a thing or two along the way :).
   -Andrea, aka Merribelle

1 comments about Pumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night.

1. My son and I love reading this book. With its beautiful cadences and lovely rhythms, it makes a nice story about choosing your holiday pumpkin--your perfect pumpkin--and it captures the flavors and textures and smells of fall in just that special way. A book filled with pumpkins that gently and beautifully captures the imagination of your young child and the deep inner glow they get when their pumpkin is glowing in the night.

1 comments about The Firefighters' Thanksgiving.

1. This is the story of 10 firefighters of Station 1 on Thanksgiving Day. One of the firemen says he can cook dinner and off they go to the store. With a full cart, a call comes in and they must all leave the cart and rush off to the call. Smoky & sooty they return to the store for their cart and even help the people at the market clean their melted ice cream. Back to the station, it's time to start to begin their dinner; there is peeling, cutting, rolling and mixing. Another call comes in. And then another. A fireman is hurt, but they soon find out he'll be OK.
   
   Will the fireman ever get their turkey in the oven and be able to enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner? I'm not going to ruin the story for you, you'll just have to get the book and read!
   I will give you one hint... there is kindness from their local neighborhood and a happy ending as well.
   
   
   The author of this book grew up around a fire station and then married a fireman! I think she knows her way around a fire station. The illustrator also included a woman as one of the 10 firefighter, which I like a lot. The story has 2 pages of words with nice illustrations, then there are 2 pages with no words just the illustrations and then repeats the pattern until the end of the book. This is a terrific book for any child interested in firefighters and the ending shows the true meaning of Thanksgiving!
   
   
   Definitely a wonderful book to read to your child around Thanksgiving!

5 comments about Over the River and Through the Woods.

1. David Catrow is one of my favorite illustrators, and he definately puts a new spin on a classic Thanksgiving Day rhyme in this book. . .I especially love the cat!



2. My three-year old lovrd this. Nice pictures of an old-fashioned Thanksgiving, but he particularly liked the idea of a ook you could sing along to.



3. David Catrow takes a Thanksgiving classic for a wild ride! The long and stressful holiday road trip to a distant relative's home, with the car stuffed full of siblings, pets, and food, is a universal experience. In this whimsical picture book, the baby of the family escapes into a joyful, snowy Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where characters, floats and balloons take on a life of their own. The lively and imaginative scenes keep the pace of rhythm of the text, and Catrow's cool midseason tones achieve the not-quite- fall-but-not-quite-winter effect. An ideal purchase for the car trip to Grandma's - or for the sibling whom you used to draw seat boundries with.



4. My 3 year-old son pointed out that the kids are not wearing seatbelts. Catrow draws the seatbelts, he just doesn't put them on the children. The baby is buckled in the carseat, but on the very next page is somehow climbing out the window. That upset my son, because he knows the importance of always staying buckled in. This may be nitpicking to some people, but it really concerned us. Other than that, the story is cute and well illustrated.



5. I just bought this book for my 2nd grade music classes because I've been using a copy from the library for the last 3 years, and my students all LOVE this book. The pictures have a story unto themselves: a family is driving by the Macy's parade as they leave town for their grandparents' house, the baby crawls out the window during a traffic jam, gets tossed about through the parade, rides some balloons, and ends up safely delivered to Grandmother's house just in time for the family to arrive and eat a traditional dinner together... except the baby steals the pumpkin pie. Kids just shriek with laughter when they aren't busy singing, and (most important to their music teacher) they remember the song later because they had such fun learning it. They beg to read this book again and again, but I only do it at Thanksgiving, so it's a big treat. ;-) Many thanks to the illustrator.

No comments about The Thanksgiving Beast Feast: A Harry & Emily Adventure (A Holiday House Reader, Level 2).

No comments about Clifford's Thanksgiving: Clifford Y El Dia de Accion de Gracias.

5 comments about Thanksgiving Mice!.

1. The holiday mice are back, this time to celebrate Thanksgiving! These charming little characters perform a Thanksgiving play for an audience of animal friends. The fun rhymes and colorful illustrations tell the story of the Pligrims as they sailed to America, struggled with hunger and cold, grew corn, and at last celebrated with a Thanksgiving feast. In a satisfying ending, the mice celebrate Thanksgiving with a delicious feast of their own. Just right for the youngest readers, this book is a Thanksgiving winner!



2. "Come one, come all, come see our play!" In the newest addition to this popular series, the holiday mice put on a play for their woodland friends, to tell the story of Thanksgiving. Dressed in Pilgrim costumes, they journey on the Mayflower, experience hardships, sow corn, and celebrate with a Thanksgiving feast. Told in lively verse, this book tells the history of Thanksgiving in simple terms for the picture book set. The mouse characters are as endearing as always, and the illustrations lend humor to the story, as the mouse characters struggle with props and preparations. Young fans of the holiday mice will love this delightful book celebrating Thanksgiving!



3. This is a pleasant but fairly mediocre Thanksgiving book for young kids. Its premise is that mice are putting on a play about the first thanksgiving. We watch the show and then cheer at the end. The artwork has a few clever moments in it depicting stage hand mice pushing Plymouth rock props into the scene, etc. The text, however, doesn't flow very well. It is told in terse couplets, as if in verse, yet often the verses fail to rhyme - or if they do, we wait a few pages for the rhyme to come. Thus, any readaloud singsong quality which the text is apparently meant to have (and which is the only thing that might compensate for its abruptness) is foiled. The idea of the play is engaging enough to make this an interesting addition to the sometimes thin genre of Thanksgiving picture books.



4. Adorable mice enthusiastically bumble through a Thanksgiving play for their friends. But they successfully convey the history and joy of the day, and then have a fun feast with their friends to celebrate. This book is a lively way to give children the basic history of Thanksgiving and is a fun read as well. Highly recommended!



5. Not as cute or informative as I had hoped. I was looking for an age appropriate Thanksgiving story for my 3-year old, but this is defintely more for toddlers than preschoolers. Not quite exciting enough to hold his interest.

4 comments about My Book of Thanks.

1. This book, with cheerful illustrations, is delightful! Perfect for teaching your little one about what it means to be thankful! This is one of those books I not only enjoy reading, but it has a lasting value as it teaches an important lesson in thankfulness. Wonderful book for little ones & you'll enjoy it too.



2. I started to read this book to my daughter in the womb. She is now 3 months old and it is her favorite book. I highly recommend it.



3. My four year old really enjoys reading this book as do I. The words are as appealing and beautiful as the illustrations. It was a Thanksgiving gift, but we continue to read it year round, to remind us of all we have to be thankful for. It is a wonderful book and a great gift!



4. I bought this book for my 3yr old and 5 yo. We pray at night together, and sometimes they are at a loss of what they could be thankful for. I ask them what is something you are thankful for that happened today? This book has possiblities to open their imaginations and give them ideas of what to be thankful for. God's creation, Family, food, playtime, friends, toys, and most especially for God loving me. Sometimes a book can get a message across so much more than my recommendations. I am glad that I purchased this book.