Thankful

June 15, 2015
Spinelli lists many things for which people are thankful. The pictures tell a pleasing counterpoint to this deceptively simple rhyme. It begins "The waitress is thankful for comfortable shoes. / The local reporter, for interesting news." The pictures show a little girl playing waitress to her brother, who playacts the reporter. The news gets interesting when the girl trips over the (omnipresent) cat. As the poem continues, the Caucasian children and their parents embody all the different roles and occupations it mentions. The poet is thankful for rhyme and the artist, for light and color, although the girl dancer is not particularly pleased with her brother's painterly rendition of her visual art. The cozy hotel for the traveler is a tent for the siblings in the backyard, and the grateful chef is their father in the kitchen. Even the pastor (the only character mentioned who is not a family member) is grateful, as he is presented with a posy from the girl, for "God's loving word." The line is squiggly and energetic, with pastel color and figures that float over white space or have whole rooms or gardens to roam in. Both children, grateful for morning stories, appear in a double-page spread surrounded by books and stuffed toys as their mother reads to them-an image that begs to be a poster. Low-key and gentle; a book to be thankful for. (Picture book. 4-7)

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December 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-In this charming picture book, two siblings look at people around them and imagine the things they are grateful for. "The waitress is thankful/for comfortable shoes./The local reporter, for interesting news./The gardener's/thankful for/every green/sprout./The fireman, /for putting the fire out." Additionally, an artist is thankful for color and light and a mayor is thankful for every vote. The same two children role-play the various professions throughout. Spinelli celebrates gratitude in simple rhyming couplets. The text is straightforward but helps support the whimsical illustrations that flow onto the following pages. Soft pastel images outlined in black highlight the details on the pages, as does the vast amount of white space. This book creates an opportunity for parents and children to talk about for whom and what they are thankful. VERDICT A must-have for library collections; great for one-on-one reading or for storytimes.-Megan McGinnis, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

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