  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 06/01/2015 Gouache illustrations in the warm red, orange, and gold of fall reveal a purposeful extended family working together to make Thanksgiving dinner. In gently rhythmic lines, a boy implores each family member, from grandparents all the way to Baby, to perform a task that will create a memorable holiday: “Sister, knead the rising dough. / Punch it down, then watch it grow. / Line your loaves up in a row. / Sister, knead the dough.” Grandparents, aunt, uncle, parents, and siblings all have a hand in the traditional meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, cider, and pie with whipped cream. The colorful pictures show a busy, old-fashioned kitchen with herbs drying on the wall, a cast-iron stove, and a water pump. Ten family members, plus pets, scurry about the kitchen working in unison toward a common goal. “We will share the risen bread. / Our made-with-love Thanksgiving spread. / Grateful to be warm and fed. / We will share the bread.” A delightful holiday book that shows the heartwarming tradition of food and family. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. School Library Journal - 07/01/2015 K-Gr 2—Everyone helps prepare Thanksgiving dinner in this new holiday offering set in the 19th century. From fetching the cooking pot to folding pilgrim hats, each of the 10 members in this family has a job to do. Narrated by the younger brother in rhyming four-line verse, each spread highlights one aspect of the meal preparations and the relative responsible for it: sister kneads the bread dough, grandpa cooks the berries, auntie mashes the potatoes, etc. The youngster's excitement with the day is conveyed through repetition and simple rhymes and rhythm that mirror the ease with which the family works together in anticipation of their meal. McElmurry's illustrations depict a traditional middle-class family in aprons over their Sunday best. The gouache on watercolor paper affords a three-dimensional, old-fashioned quality to the setting and characters, while the ever-present family dog and cat offer relatable detail for today's digital natives. Muted tones of brown, gray, blue, and black dominate the color scheme and lend authenticity to this celebratory tribute to our national holiday. VERDICT This book captures the spirit of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner but may require hand-selling to kids to secure a trip to the circulation desk.—Lynn Van Auken, Oak Bluffs School, MA - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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