Thanksgiving Picks From THE PIT

Thanksgiving is without a doubt, my favorite holiday. While I enjoy the decorating and festivities of Christmas, there's just something about the simpleness of Thanksgiving. I know a lot of people right now are probably disagreeing due to all of the food that needs to be prepared, a task that I participate in as well, but I maintain that it is the simplest of holidays which makes it the most enjoyable, at least, for me. For my family, 19 extended, it's a time for all of us to be together for a day, eating, napping, looking at the Day After Sale ads, watching football, playing cards and lots of laughing. I think I appreciate it more every year as I get older.

I'm sharing two Thanksgiving books in THE PIT this week, the first is This is the Feast which I reviewed here. I wasn't sure how it would go over with the kids, but all ages seem to really be enjoying it's rhyme and especially the pictures, each one a work of art.

The second is One is a Feast for Mouse, a fun book about having just enough. Mouse looks out of his "hidey-hole" and spies one luscious green pea left on the Thanksgiving table. With everyone sleeping, including the cat with the "greeny" eyes and "stripey" tail, Mouse takes advantage of the opportunity and heads out. On the way he spies cranberries, olives, carrots, gravy, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, (hungry yet?) and finally turkey. He piles it all up in his arms which has led all of the students to wonder "Wouldn't the pea on the bottom get smashed from all that weight?" and "How's he getting all of that back into his hidey-hole?" both excellent questions. In the end, he gets chased by the cat who wakes up and ends up with just what he started out for, one luscious green pea which is enough for mouse.

Judy Cox has written a fun, warm hearted story that stresses the message to be thankful for whatever you have, and the kids get it! The illustrations by Jeffrey Ebbeler are entertaining and really show mouse's Thanksgiving adventure in a way that all of the kids enjoy. The kids all find new and different things each time I read it. I especially like the picture that forces the book to be turned so that the entire stack of food can be seen.

So be thankful for the little things this Thanksgiving , and enjoy a good book while you're at it!