Tuesday Storytime: Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving storytimes.  There are so many good and interesting Thanksgiving books to hunt through and familiarize myself with, and it's lovely to have them all up on display to tempt patrons to check them out.  However, finding books that suit my particular style and age-group is a little harder, and I've fallen back on a few favorites over the years.  This year is no exception.

A Plump and Perky Turkey

Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Jeff Shelly

ISBN: 0761451889

Cartoonish, crowded spreads and vignettes capture loads of energy, expression, and emotion.

This one is just barely short enough for my kids to handle - it's got some impressive chunks of rhyme in it, and I wonder if the little ones are actually catching the story itself, but no matter if they don't quite get it.  Squawk Valley has not managed to procure any turkeys for their communal Thanksgiving Feast, because the birds have wised up and fled.  Instead of hunkering down to bowls of shredded wheat, the townies decide to lure a bird in by pretending they need a model for a "turkey-themed" art fair.  Pete the clever turkey (a very large part of me deeply wishes that he'd been named Tom) decides he's just the bird for the job, models and preens and eats his fill - then skips out right before dinner.  The ending is a tad quick, and therefore a bit anti-climactic, but it's still a funny take on Thanksgiving turkey shenanigans, without the problematic kidnapping flavor of Eve Bunting's A Turkey for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Cats

Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Hans Wilhelm

ISBN: 0590037145

Soft-edged and soft-colored "vintage" drawings show happy cats prepping and enjoying a rustic feast.

I've used this book three years in a row now, and I am still quite happy with it.  It's short, snappy, the pictures are adorable, and the storyline is easy to follow as we see "Farmer cats" harvesting veggies, fruits, and dairy, and then "Kitchen cats" prepping them all into lovely foods, all the while "farmer kittens" and "kitchen kittens" play around underfoot.  I love that there seems to be a purposeful presentation of both farm and kitchen cats as being both genders.  Adorable, short, and sweet.

Thanks for Thanksgiving

Julie Markes (Good Thing You're Not an Octopus), illustrated by Doris Barrette

ISBN: 9780060510985

Rich saturate colors call to mind Victorian holiday cards, featuring child-focused scenes.

This is another that I've used for several years running, and again, I continue to be quite happy with it.  The length is perfect, the illustrations are lovely and clear, and the language is simple without being cloying or cutesy.  The concept is roughly like a prayer, but the "Thank you" phrasing is non-religious and non-directed.  Each spread offers thanks for a situation or scene that is relevant and understandable to a child; "Thank you for play dates, for swings and for slides" and "Thank you for Mommy, and warm, cozy cuddles." A perfect ending for storytime, and a nice contemplative and gratitude-filled read.