In 1621, Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared a harvest feast, recognized as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations. The feast was thought to last three days and include such foods as deer, fowl, and corn. Now, nearly 400 years later, Thanksgiving Day looks a bit different. Turkey, pumpkin pie, and mash potatoes are just a few of the many foods associated with this holiday.
Of course those early Americans would not have been watching football or parades either. The tradition of Thanksgiving Day football games began in 1934 when the Detroit Lions played the Chicago Bears and the first televised game was in 1956. The Macy's parade kicked off the Christmas shopping season for the first time in 1924. The early parades were on a much smaller scale than today's elaborate productions. Macy's employees ran the parade and animals from the Central Park Zoo were some of the main attractions. Now, some 3 million people attend the parade route and a further 44 million watch it on TV. The new picture book, Balloons over Broadway, tells the story of the Tony Sarg, the puppeteer and marionette-maker who transformed the parade with balloons and floats.
The recent children's and young adult titles featured here focus on Thanksgiving and its rich history and traditions. To search for more titles, learn about awards, and find curriculum tools search the CLCD database at www.clcd.com.
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Over the River and Through the Wood
L. Maria Child
Illustrated by Matt Tavares
Over the River and Through the Wood is a new, illustrated version of Lydia Maria Child's classic verse about Thanksgiving. Born outside Boston, Child's was a teacher, writer, and editor, as well as an abolitionist and women's rights activist. She is best remembered for this poem, which is based on her memories traveling to her grandfather's house for Thanksgiving with her family. Tavares breathes new life into this holiday verse with big, vivid illustrations of a snowy New England winter. There is a cheerful tone to the story; Tavares' watercolor, pencil, and gouache illustrations are set in a historic time. A young family--dad, mom, son, daughter, and puppy--travel in the snow-covered town and woods in their horse and carriage to get to their grandfather's house. Like many popular children's songs, I thought I knew this poem but realized in reality I was only familiar with the first few lines. This would be an excellent choice for a Thanksgiving read-aloud in the home, classroom, or library. A note about the author is included. 2011, Candlewick Press, Ages 6 up, $16.99. Reviewer: Emily Griffin (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-7636-2790-4
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