November

Find "November" in A Child's Calendar, a collection of twelve of John Updike's poems that describes a child's journey through the seasons from January through December  (c. 1965).  Caldecott award winning artist Trina Schart Hyman illustrated the collection (c. 1999).

This First Thanksgiving Day

Dear Readers,

Two years ago, I recommended to my young friends a story entitled This First Thanksgiving Day by Laura Krauss Melmed and Mark Buehner (c. 2001).  Well, I stand corrected!  My elementary friends have quite enjoyed this Thanksgiving story too!

Revisit my previous post here.  Then consider letting the older readers read it to their younger siblings.  And while the younger siblings look for the hidden turkey on each two-page spread, have the older siblings look for that quirky dinosaur on various spreads (we're still not sure just how many).  While the younger siblings count the people on each spread, have the older siblings practice their addition by finding and then adding the various animals (squirrels, rabbits, fish, birds, geese, chickens, etc.) on each spread.  Either way, enjoy the fun activities while celebrating Thanksgiving!

Parents, this would be a great book to check out before that long car trip or while you're trying to get dinner on the table but the Macy's Day Parade ended hours ago.

Over the River and Through the Wood

Y'all know how Brinton Turkle's illustrated version of Over the River and Through the Wood (c. 1974) has been my all-time favorite interpretation of Lydia Maria Child's famous poem turned song.

Well, now there's a fierce competitor!  Take a look at Matt Tavares' illustrated version entitled: Over the River and Through the Wood: The New England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day (c. 2011).

One word: BEAUTIFUL!  Tavares cleverly weaves a story using the warm and humorous notes of a good storyteller . . . all through the media of pencil and paint brush.  In fact, I would love to frame the opening title-page spread.

So just in time for Thanksgiving . . . check it out!

Also, (or if you can't make it to the library in time) discover the illustration process through the actions of artist Matt Tavares':

Thanksgiving Favorites

Rush to the library and check out our family's Thanksgiving favorites 

(click on the typed book title underneath the picture to read my reviews):

Thanksgiving Is Here! by Diane Goode (c. 2003)

Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child illustrated by Brinton Turkle (c. 1974 )

The Very First Thanksgiving Day by Rhonda Gowler Greene paintings Susan Gaber (c. 2002)

The First Thanksgiving

I've introduced the magnificent paintings of Thomas Locker to you.  Here's his take on The First Thanksgiving written by Jean Craighead George (c. 1993).

Over the River and Through the Wood

If I had more time and energy, I would review all the many versions of Over the River and Through the Wood that are out there today.  But I have neither.  So, let me share with you two favorites from my personal search last year.

My very favorite is Brinton Turkle's illustrated copy from 1974.  I mean that name alone, Brinton Turkle, is just so much fun to say.  It's a song in and of itself: Brinton Turkle, Brinton Turkle, Brinton Turkle, Brinton Turkle.  Okay, maybe I've been hanging out with my kids too long.  But they (the kids) love this version; so much so, that we had to buy it.  So we have our very own copy of the nineteenth century, New England family's journey "through the white and drifted snow" to read as often as we please.  And we do read it often!  The kids' favorite verse is:

Over the river, and through the wood -- 

Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes,

And bites the nose,

As over the ground we go.

In Turkle's version, it's "to grandfather's house we go."  He also includes all twelve verses, making the journey palpable, escalating our anticipation to that beloved last line: "Hurrah for the pumpkin-pie!"  There's also music included on the last page, if you'd like to play Child's song for yourself.

I also enjoyed Christopher Manson's beautifully illustrated woodcuts.  Manson takes us on a journey "with a clear blue winter sky" from the perspective of a young boy witnessing the activities of other little boys (sailing on ice, gathering firewood, sledding, ice skating, playing hockey, giving sugar to a horse, fishing, logging, etc.) while on the way to his "grandmother's house."  I think Manson's viewpoint best reflects Lydia Maria Child's intention since she first entitled the poem "The Boy's Thanksgiving." Now, I know I've whetted your appetite to find a version and read up to "the pumpkin-pie!"

I took the following information about Child's poem turned song from Over the River and Through the Wood: A Thanksgiving Poem by Lydia Maria Child illustrated with woodcuts by Christopher Manson.  New York: North-South Books, 1993.   

The song we know today as 'Over the River and Through the Wood' 

is adapted from a poem by Lydia Maria Child.  The poem was first 

published in her popular three-volume anthology for boys and girls, 

Flowers for Children (1844-1846).  During the nineteenth century 

it was reprinted many times under various titles.  Child's poem 

became the unofficial anthem of Thanksgiving after her friend 

John Greenleaf Whittier included it in Child Life (1871), 

his immensely popular collection of nineteenth-century children's 

verse.  The original poem was twelve verse long, but it has often 

been shortened to six.  This book uses the verses that appeared 

in the Whittier anthology under the title 'Thanksgiving Day'.

Thanksgiving Is Here!

Diane Goode remains one of my favorite children's book illustrators.  My grandmother first introduced me to her one Christmas by giving me Pinocchio, and now my children enjoy that time-worn copy.  Goode's illustrations are filled with whimsy, humor, and life.

If you haven't read Thanksgiving Is Here!, you must check out a copy before everyone else grabs them up! 

Just like Tasha Tudor's Pumpkin Moonshine is my favorite pumpkin story, Goode's Thanksgiving Is Here! is my favorite Thanksgiving story.  She faithfully captures the commotion of family and friends reuniting at Grandma and Grandpa's Thanksgiving table.  It seems that Goode catalogues my personal Thanksgiving memories: Grandma's early rush into the kitchen to put the turkey in the oven, the long extended table with mismatched chairs, the post-feast naps or walks, and the long anticipated pumpkin pie.  Goode's "pen-and-ink drawings with a watercolor wash" present many surprises!  Look for the hidden stories her illustrations hold, just to name a few: the mysterious gift, "whose dog is that?", and Great-grandma's knitted present.  I guarantee that your family will enjoy Thanksgiving Is Here!


Note: Goode collaborated with Cynthia Rylant a few times to readers' delight.  I will feature those two books, Christmas in the Country and When I Was Young in the Mountains, later on.

The Very First Thanksgiving Day

The Very First Thanksgiving Day by Rhonda Gowler Greene with paintings done by Susan Gaber (copyright 2002) was quite a hit with the kids!  The story follows a rhythm comparable to "This is the House that Jack Built" with its own clever rhymes.  Greene begins her story in the classical literary technique in medias res ("in the middle of things") with "This is the very first Thanksgiving day" and builds her story backward to England and then again forward to the first feast, making this version a unique approach in retelling the Thanksgiving story.

Once again, I have been stunned by the artwork!  I could just sit and look at this book again and again!  Gaber does a beautiful job of depicting the brilliant colors of the Pilgrims' natural-dyed clothing.  And your kids will delight in the frequent images of children throughout Gaber's illustrations.  Have your children search for the Pilgrim and Wampanoag dolls throughout the story and discover the themes of thanksgiving and sharing through visual representation.  Don't miss the author and illustrator's notes at the beginning for fascinating background information.

The Pilgrims of Plimoth

I especially enjoyed reading The Pilgrims of Plimoth written and illustrated by Marcia Sewall (copyright 1986).  What I particularly like about this book is that the language rings true to the time period (complete with a thirty-seven word glossary in the back).  Sewall dedicates her book to "The Pilgrim Village Interpreters, whose great spirit gives life to our Plimoth pilgrims" and captures that living history feel in her text.  It "sounds" like an oral history recitation, making it a pleasure to read aloud. Meanwhile, Sewall's illuminated paintings further bring her text to life.

What's unique about Sewall's book is that she gives a detailed account of life after the Thanksgiving feast.  She chronicles the events from the Mayflower's voyage to the growth of "Plimoth" Plantation through the following sequential points of view: The Pilgrims, the Menfolk, the Womenfolk, the Children and Youngfolk ("of survivors . . . over half were children"), and The Plantation.

N.C.Wyeth's Pilgrims

What a treat!!!  In N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims, acclaimed children's author Robert San Souci takes Newell Convers Wyeth's series of murals originally created for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York and gives them a voice with his thoroughly researched text (text copyright 1991 and illustrations copyright 1945).  Souci's succinct yet detailed account presents a thorough summary of events from the excellent contrast between the Pilgrims and the "strangers" to a factual synopsis of life in the village after the feast.

Wyeth's twelve paintings, although not entirely historically accurate, provide a visual feast.  For those of you unfamiliar with N.C. Wyeth, he is father to Andrew Wyeth and to a lineage of talented American artists.  Here's a website to quickly view some of his most recognizable children's book illustrations: click here.  And last, but certainly not least, the book's endpapers supplies a copy of the Mayflower's original passenger list, furnishing a fascinating historical read.

A Pilgrim father shows his son how to shuck corn.

The Thanksgiving Story

The Thanksgiving Story written by Alice Dalgliesh and illustrated by Helen Sewell received the 1955 Caldecott Honor, making this the earliest Thanksgiving book that I'll feature.  What I like best about this book is that Dalgliesh personalizes the Thanksgiving account by telling the story of Giles, Constance, Damaris, and little Oceanus who was born at sea. Through her simple text we learn about the day-to-day activities that the Hopkins family experiences through surviving, planting, harvesting, and feasting.  This is  shorter than Weisgard's version, allowing the little ones to follow it more easily. 

The Plymouth Thanksgiving

Hello, readers!  Now we're getting into the books telling about the Pilgrims journey from England to the New World, their grueling winter, the Wampnoag tribe's critical help during the planting season, and the celebration of the very first Thanksgiving feast.  Over the course of the next few days, I'm going to acquaint you with a handful of my top picks (after examining many choices) that introduce this story.  In each book, I learned something new about the Pilgrims' journey which became the exciting part of this process.  Of course, each story-teller and illustrator communicates their version of Thanksgiving story differently, so hopefully you'll find one version that's best suited for each of your children.


Today, we're going to take a look at illustrator Leonard Weisgard (1916-2000).  Weisgard won the Caldecott Medal in 1947 for his illustrations of The Little Island, and you can read more about him in this short biography.  Weisgard wrote and illustrated The Plymouth Thanksgiving (copyright in 1967), striving to attended to detail and accuracy by using William Bradford's diary and by spending extensive time and research at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Weisgard is best known for his illustrations, and this is no exception (I've included two different cover illustrations).  The kids especially liked being able to see the detail of the Mayflower interior.  Personally, I was gripped by the listing of all the passengers on the Mayflower, which made the story come alive for me (and made the fact that only half survived all the more startling).

This First Thanksgiving Day

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to feature a few Thanksgiving books so you'll have time to check them out before Thanksgiving day.

One of the stories that the kids have wanted read to them over and over again is This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed and illustrated by Mark Buehner.  They're taken with Buehner's bright, artful illustrations, jammed packed with "I spy" elements of squirrels, rabbits, and other creatures.  As Melmed writes the text in twelve poems, she highlights the day-to-day harvesting activities from the children's points of view.  Then Buehner ends with a beautiful scene of the two villages eating the first Thanksgiving feast together.

This story provides many fun teaching elements too! 

• Since this is a counting story, practice counting the participants in each page as they ready for the very first Thanksgiving. 
• Listen for the rhyme in the second and fourth lines. 
• Have your children find the hidden turkey in each page. 

 Note: For children unfamiliar with the Thanksgiving story, I'd recommend begining with a book that gives a more comprehensive account of how the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims came together to share a bountiful harvest before I'd begin with this book (and I'll be featuring some of those  recommendations later this week).  Also, this particular story is better suited for the kindergarten and toddler ages.