The Perfect Thanksgiving - Hardcover

Spinelli, Eileen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805065318 ISBN 13: 9780805065312

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2003

Synopsis

"Our smoke alarm is wailing.
Our turkey, burnt as toast.
Dad spills the gravy down his shirt-
a less-than-perfect host".

Enter two families who couldn't be more opposite. Family one seems just perfect-with a plump golden turkey, gorgeous whipped cream swirls atop their pie, and lace napkins on the table. Family two, on the other hand, seems far from it! The turkey burns, the Jell-O wiggles and jiggles right to the floor, and Dad's shirt serves as napkin. What could these two very different families possibly have in common?

Full of whimsy, good spirit, and certainly familial love, this laugh-aloud picture book is sure to add spice to any Thanksgiving feast.

About this title

About the Author

Eileen Spinelli has published many books for children, including Here Comes the Year, which was praised as being "lyrical and contemplative" in a Publishers Weekly starred review. She lives with her husband, author Jerry Spinelli, in Willistown, Pennsylvania.

JoAnn Adinolfi is the illustrator of several books for young readers, including Halloween Hoots and Howls, which Booklist hailed for its "sprightly pictures that extend and illustrate the poems to perfection." Ms. Adinolfi lives with her family in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 3-In this tale of two Thanksgivings, a young girl compares her own family's chaotic and less-than-genteel holiday celebration with that of another family, which "is perfect in every way." At that house, "Abigail Archer's father/serves white meat all around./Everyone takes dainty bites,/and no one makes a sound," while at her own home, "My grandpa chews the gizzards./My brother chomps the wings./My sister slurps. My uncle burps./And Aunt Clarissa sings." The jaunty, rhyming text continues to reveal the many contrasts between the two clans, until the final page, when the narrator points out one important similarity, highlighting "-just how loving/our different families are." Combining gouache, colored pencil, and collage, the mixed-media artwork extends the humor of the story. The child-friendly tone is set on the title page, which shows a close-up of the girl's arms, one hand tracing the other with a crayon. The resulting hand turkey, finished off with feathers and features, runs through the pages, taking part in the action and making sly comments. Whether reflecting the serenity at one household or the chaos at the other, the vivid double-page artwork is filled with action and energy. Colorfully clothed characters, vibrant backgrounds, and almost touchable textures make each page fresh and appealing. Filled with warm humor and taking a fresh approach, this title is the perfect antidote to ho-hum holiday books.
Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PreS-Gr. 2. The Archer family is perfect, especially on Thanksgiving, when their turkey is plump and golden, / their napkins are made of lace / their table is lit with candles / they all hold hands for grace." Meanwhile, at the narrator's house, the smoke alarm is wailing, the turkey is burnt, and Dad has spilled the gravy down his shirt. Spinelli goes to the well several times too often with her comparisons, as when the narrator's family "can't tell peas from green legumes / or snails from escargot," but kids who have noticed how celebrations can vary from house to house will identify with the point she makes. Adinolfi uses gouache, colored pencils, and collage on craft paper to create energetic pictures, which she peoples with geometrically shaped family members, who are either pursuing perfection or taking part in controlled chaos. Hand-printed asides add extra fun for kids old enough to read. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805065318
• ISBN 13: 9780805065312
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Adinolfi JoAnn
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32