MommaReads

Fred and Belle have a beautiful garden and all of the neighbors want to know how they manage to have such gorgeous flowers and so many vegetables. Well, it all started when Fred insisted that they keep a little wild turkey chick that they found. Belle didn’t want it, but it turned out that the little turkey’s droppings are good for the garden, he eats insects that might hurt the garden and all of the scratching in the dirt he does is good for the garden, too. Well, would it be better to have hundreds of turkeys then? No, but when a hundred turkeys do show up in their yard, Fred is willing to share their secret if each of the neighbors takes one home. This is a cute book and I love the language the author uses. There are words like: infernal mess, took a gander, flitted, flourished, careened, smidge, dales and gangly.

Turkey knows that Thanksgiving is right around the corner and he has got to figure out something to save himself. He decides to dress up as different barn animals, but the other animals can still tell that it’s him. His last disguise, however, is perfect and helps both the farmer and Turkey have the perfect Thanksgiving.

Mr. and Mrs. Moose are busy getting ready to host Thanksgiving dinner, but they don’t have a turkey, so Mr. Moose sets out to find one. As he sets out, Rabbit joins him and then the Goats and then Porcupine. They do finally find Turkey who is hiding out until after Thanksgiving and they do end up with Turkey at their Thanksgiving table, but not ON their table…much to Turkey’s surprise and relief.

Ann and Ed end up going out to eat at the new restaurant down the street when their Thanksgiving turkey gets ruined. What they don’t realize though is that the restaurant isn’t open (but someone left the door unlocked) and that the family inside is actually having their first Thanksgiving in America. The family decides to take in Ann and Ed and they are quickly swept up in the family’s celebrations. Ann and Ed return home and decide they are most thankful that Ann ruined the turkey.

Mrs. Grumm finds a turkey egg in the woods. She takes care of it in anticipation of the turkey inside someday being part of a great turkey dinner. The egg does hatch and she feeds the bird all year around with seeds, fruits and veggies from her farm. Thanksgiving time comes and she begins her preparations for Thanksgiving which means sharpening and polishing the hatchet. Turns out that sometimes you end up eating Thanksgiving dinner with the turkey instead of having turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

Turk is his parents’ pride and joy…he is the stongest, fastest, plumpest turkey on the farm. His little brother, Runt, is not. What Runt lacks in bulk, however, he makes up for in brains. As potential turkey eaters come to the farm to pick out their Thanksgiving bird, it is Runt’s quick wit that saves his dim-witted brother time and time again. This is a very cute story and I think my favorite part is at the end when they realize that Runt is right and they start to work together to discourage possible turkey eaters.

This book reminds me so much of my own Thanksgivings growing up…the food, the family, the games with cousins after all the eating and the togetherness. I also love the compassion and patience this book teaches all of us when one of the youngest family members gets in the way and the turkey ends up in the fish tank. Cute story…and it rhymes!

This Thanksgiving story will give most little ones the giggles…so much goes wrong while trying to get their Thanksgiving dinner together…the turkey ends up in the lake for starters. The Tappletons’ turkey dinner does not turn out AT ALL as they had hoped, but they quickly learn that it’s not the turkey that makes Thanksgiving, but the people you share it with.

Note: There are two different versions of this book. Only the illustrations are different; the story is the same.