1 comments about Nursery Crimes.

1. Jambo and Marva are immigrant pigs living in Ames Town. They have 12 children and make their living by raising topiaries and pumpkins. One night the topiary thief Voler steals all their turkeys. Facing financial disaster, Marva cooks up a scheme that helps them prove Voler was the culprit The book is not scary, but it does have some tension. It introduces some uncommon vocabulary words such as topiary. It has about 900 words.

5 comments about Thanksgiving Is Here!.

1. Diane Goode went to a lot of large family gatherings when she was growing up, which is why when she asked herself "What happens at Thanksgiving?" the answer was "Why, everything!" This idea is important because you want to pay attention to the details in these pen-and-ink drawings with a watercolor wash that tell the story of what happens when twenty-eight friends and relatives arrive on Thanksgiving Day. It begins with Grandma and Grandpa rising early on Thanksgiving morning to get the turkey in the oven before the guests arrive to help, talk, and eat (not necessarily in that order). The story is told by young Maggie, who arrives with her family first, when it is time to peel the potatoes and roll out the dough. But then more people arrive, from Maggie's glamorous aunt and the uncle with a hairpiece that cannot stay in one place to the acrobatic cousin and the friendly dog that follow Maggie around. Intended for young readers age 3-8, being able to read the simple text of "Thanksgiving Is Here!" is only part of the fun. The main part comes from looking at the pictures and discovering what is in the surprise package, who might be interested in becoming more than friends, and several other things that can be learned only by carefully studying each and every illustration. "Thanksgiving Is Here!" is either a perfect reward for young readers who have helped prepare the food or set the table, or as a fun way of keeping them occupied while the adults have all the Turkey Day fun.



2. The busy, whimsical illustrations tell much of the story in this book that kids will enjoy poring over. Grandma and Grandpa are up early to wrestle the turkey into the oven. Aunts, uncles and cousins start arriving, with assorted babies, pets, paraphernalia and packages.

   The simple acts of peeling potatoes, setting the table, hunting for extra chairs, yakking, horseplay -- and several visual subplots --are joyfully depicted in this celebration of family gatherings.




3. I just love this book, it so perfectly covers Thanksgiving and families. I have read this book at least 20 times, and I still find something new. The author has thirty guests over for dinner. My boys and I have fun following a different character through the whole book. Very enjoyable!



4. This sweet book describes Thanksgiving in a big family with folks continually pouring through the door. We are a BIG family, 11 kids, 25 grandkids, and we read this to the younger ones this year. They just loved it! Sweet and loving story, I returned to buy more copies!



5. If you have big noisy Thanksgiving Dinners, this book captures that atmosphere perfectly. The text is fairly simple, but the illustrations are great. There is a lot going on and to look at. My 4 year old and 6 year old both really enjoyed reading this book.

2 comments about What Is Thanksgiving? (Lift-the-Flap Story).

1. This was a terrible disappointment. As an expatriate with kids, I was looking forward to enjoying this "What is...?" lift-the-flap book, after enjoying What is Easter and What is Christmas. However, this book concentrates on shopping, cooking, and eating. These days Thankgiving is a secular holiday which Americans of all sorts celebrate, so it is not the religious omission I object too, but the oversimplification and glossing over of historical events about which even the youngest of American preschoolers usually hear. Pilgrims are mentioned on only two pages, one of which states that they invited the Indians for dinner, but does not go on to say WHY the Native Americans were part of the first Thanksgiving feast. If it were not for the help the Pilgrims received from the Native Americans, they might not have survived to celebrate. Since four pages are devoted to cooking, I think they could have spared some room for why there is a Thanksgiving at all.



2. This is the perfect first Thanksgiving book for babies who are old enough to love mice and pumpkins and lift the flaps but much too young to understand history. It covers being thankful for friends and family and food and features an adorable mouse family. My 21 month old loves this book and can't wait to read it every night.

1 comments about The Know-Nothings Talk Turkey (I Can Read Book 2).

1. I bought this for my 8 year old and we laughed the entire time she read it to me. After, I bought more "Know-Nothing" books. She reads them over and over because they are funny. We hope more come out soon!!

No comments about The Little Engine That Could Saves the Thanksgiving Day Parade (Little Engine That Could).

3 comments about Thanksgiving Day.

1. Being a fan of this joyous holiday and celebration, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I loved all the bright fall colors used in the illustrations. The book gives a brief history of the Thanksgiving holiday and discusses modern festivities. It made me very hungry for pumpkin pie and turkey! Any child would love this book especially during the fall. If I was captivated by the bright orange pumpkins and trees, I'm sure children would be too!



2. Bright pictures and simple sentences make this thoroughlyAmerican holiday accessible and fun for the youngest readers andlisteners. Gibbons covers the historical aspects and modern customs associated with this holiday. A must for elementary libraries or young children's private collections and a great prelude to craft-making or other Thanksgiving activities.



3. You can use this book to introduce Thanksgiving to kids, but I'm sure there must be better ones. Kids need a good story to engage them, but this book reads too much like an encyclopedia entry ("Families and friends gather together for a feast. Many tables are filled with the same foods the Pilgrims and Indians shared.")
   
   The illustrations are colorful, but flat.
   
   Neither of my kids would sit still for this book.

No comments about How Spider Saved Thanksgiving.

No comments about Fat Chance Thanksgiving.

1 comments about Hello Kitty: A Day of Thanks (Hello Kitty).

1. This is a very sweet book. My 2-year-old daughter adores it. We bought it last year around Thanksgiving time because I wanted her to start young with an understanding that there is more to Thanksgiving than eating turkey and Grandma's jello salad. This book was absolutely wonderful. However, it need not be tucked away just for Thanksgiving. The theme of the book is that a teacher asks "Hello, Kitty" to write an essay about what she is most thankful for. The book tells the story of many things for which she is grateful, and ends by drawing the conclusion that everything she is grateful for includes her family and friends, so ultimately, that is what she writes her essay about. It is a wonderful story, and it's short enough that if your toddler keeps saying "again" at the end of the book, you'll be able to read it more than once without keeping him/her up too late at bedtime.

2 comments about Little Bear's Thanksgiving..

1. This has been a family favorite for years. Little Bear is invited to eat Thanksgiving dinner. Because of hibernation he hasn't heard of it and his friends explain. They describe the 1st thanksgiving, and the mouth-watering table setting. Children can't help but develop an excitement for Thanksgiving as Little Bear does. A delightful book.



2. I always have to make a tough decision about out-of-print books. Although I love to introduce my children to older books, ones which I remember from my childhood (and I detest many modern books), there must have been SOME reason why the book went out of print. And maybe it won't be worth the hassle to track down a copy, or to buy a used library book which may be all scuffed up. If you feel that way, I have to tell you frankly, this book is definitely worth getting. Written by Janice, illustrated by Mariana (whoever they are), it is the adorable story of a bear who is so intent on accepting an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner that he asks his friends to wake him up from his hibernation so that he can go. They have to work hard to wake him up! At the end, they are all invited and everyone shares a dinner together. The best thing about this book is that it is perfect for introducing Thanksgiving to a young child. My daughter is 3 and doesn't remember Thanksgiving from last year but, thanks to several readings of this story (and I enjoyed every minute, it doesn't get old) she knew that it was a gathering of family and friends to celebrate togetherness and enjoy good foods. The book even told her exactly what to expect: turkey with chestnut stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, and pumpkin pie. Personally, I think the cutest thing about this book is that the invitation he receives is from his friend Goldie (whether it is Goldilocks I can't say) and the illustrations are precious in that vintage 1960s way. This book is WELL WORTH hunting down and will doubtless become a Thanksgiving tradition in your home.