The Very Stuffed Turkey

August 24, 2015
For one turkey, “gobble” isn’t so much the noise he makes as how he eats: all of Turkey’s barnyard friends are hosting Thanksgiving dinners, and he plans to eat at each one. Turkey starts out strong, plowing through stew at Pig’s house and gorging on oat cakes and pie with Horse’s family. “Let’s have a race,” suggests Horse after dinner. “Turkey didn’t think that was a good idea.” Kenah (Ferry Tail) emphasizes the culinary delights that are so integral to the holiday, but it’s the “wonderful” feeling of being part of a family (several of them, actually) that Turkey comes to appreciate most, especially after additional courses of soup, casserole, and ice cream. Dominated by an autumnal palette and dotted with plaid and cross-hatched textures, Talib’s illustrations bring a fresh, modern look to this humorous holiday outing. Ages 3–5. Illustrator’s agency: Bright Agency.

May 1, 2015
Turkey loves to eat, and he loves his barnyard friends...but how many Thanksgiving dinners can one turkey eat? "Pig, Horse, Goat and Sheep, Cow, and Mouse had each invited him to Thanksgiving dinner at their homes." When Turkey thinks of all that good cooking, he's sure he can handle five dinners. After stomach-stretching exercises, he heads to Pig's for a yummy stew (worms included). He clears his plate and thinks it's wonderful to feel a part of the family. After a nosh at Horse's, Turkey has that same wonderful feeling playing race with the family. On to Goat and Sheep's, Cow's, and Mouse's, where again he feels wonderfully at home (though his vest gets tighter and tighter). During the Mouse family parade, Turkey sees all his friends come out to watch; he's so surprised and stuffed, Turkey topples over. He thinks it was worth it to spend time with all his friends...but next year, he decides he'll just host them all at his house. Kenah's holiday turkey tale of friendship and food will make animal lovers and vegetarians smile. Turkey, who looks both a little platypuslike and a little chickenesque in Talib's textured cartoon illustrations, obviously enjoys all the company as much as he does stuffing his beak. A nice respite from tales of Pilgrims and of turkeys hiding from farmers. (Picture book. 3-5)

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October 1, 2015

PreS-A friendly turkey gets five invitations to Thanksgiving dinner. Since he doesn't want to hurt any feelings, he accepts all of them. While he has a wonderful time at each friend's house, he ends up eating a little too much. In the end, Turkey decides that next year he'll host all his friends at one party. This is a sweet story about friendship and the fun of Thanksgiving gatherings. Despite the main character being a turkey, the story is refreshingly free of jokes about the turkey being eaten. Instead, at each dinner, the turkey shares a meal that is appropriate for each farm animal (the pigs have a Thanksgiving stew, while mouse serves seeds and berries). In the end, "Turkey felt like part of the family. It was a wonderful feeling." VERDICT The bright cartoons in reds, oranges, and yellows add a warm Thanksgiving feel to a sweet story that will be a nice addition to any holiday collection.-Laura Stanfield, Campbell County Public Library, Ft. Thomas, KY

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