Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving with Turkey & Balloons!

We in the U.S. are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving--very often by serving turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce, and --I can hear the table groaning under the weight of all that food. What a wonderful time of food, family, and friendship--unless you are the turkey! 


Author Wendy Silvano's Turkey Trouble  is a funny picture book for ages 3-8, but if you are the adult reading it, you will laugh, too. Turkey realizes that he must save himself from being Thanksgiving dinner. He tries a variety of disguises until he finally finds one that works! The twist at the end leaves the farmer and his wife eating a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal and lets Turkey continue to enjoy farm life.  Lee Harper's illustrations enhance the humor. Text and pictures work together to allow children to predict Turkey's next move until the surprise ending. This book won a Children's Choice Award.



While your turkey is roasting, you may watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Did you know that some of the giant balloons were made in my city by Raven Industries? And did you know that these giant balloons are actually puppets, invented by puppeteer Tony Sarg? Never hear of him? Most of us hadn't until Melissa Sweet wrote and illustrated the non-fiction book Balloons Over Broadway. This picture book tells the story of Sarg's ingenuity in making the very first Macy's parade and balloons and has won the 2012 Robert F. Sibert Medal and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award.

Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!

What are your favorite Thanksgiving books?