Mr. and Mrs. Moose invite all their animal friends for Thanksgiving dinner and the only one missing is Turkey. When they set out to find him, Turkey is quaking with fear because he doesn't realize that his hosts want him at their table, not on it.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: A Turkey For Thanksgiving Comment: This book is a wonderful book for any age. The pictures are well drawn and the story is funny. I love the line "Turkey runs faster." I would recommend this book to anyone. Customer Rating: Summary: Good Concept, Major Missteps Comment: As a vegan mom, I was hoping this book would be a good animal-friendly addition to our Thanksgiving library. While the story's premise, of inviting a turkey as a guest to a feast, is a sweet one, the execution was poorly thought out and anything but animal-friendly.
Mr. Moose attempts to placate his wife by bringing a turkey to their feast. The author builds in suspense as Moose's friends join in the search. They find a turkey, hidden away in his nest, and proceed to chase him. The turkey trips and in one particularly disturbing page, Mr. Moose pins the fallen, terrified turkey's head to the ground with his boot and then proceeds to carry him frightened and unwilling back to the Moose residence. Turkey takes it all rather well when it is revealed in a big "Surprise!" ending that the meal is vegan and that he's a guest along with the animals who spent the morning hunting him down and kidnapping him.
Strange mixed message, particularly with the boot to the head illustration and text, that seems less like friendship and more like practical joke gone wrong. (Sorta like, "Oh! Haha! Did you think we meant to murder you? That boot thing was just for dramatic effect. Didn't you realize that? How hilarious!")
For a truly heartwarming Thanksgiving tale, I suggest Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving (Bookshelf), where a group of school children befriend and save turkeys from slaughter or the earth reverent Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message (Reading Rainbow Book). Customer Rating: Summary: The Way Thanksgiving Ought To Be Comment: I read this book years ago and now finally bought it. Now I can read it to my Preschool class this year. I think it is very sweet. Obviously the point is to make the reader think that Mr. Moose and his friends are getting a turkey to eat for Thanksgiving dinner. In actuality they insist the turkey come with them because Mr. Moose promised his wife a turkey for Thanksgiving ("Like everyone else"---so sad it's the norm). Happily the turkey discovers he's a guest for a vegan dinner rather than the maincourse! It's great book to teach compassion for animals and to encourage both out-of-the-box thinking and a meat free diet! Save a turkey this year, eat veggies instead! Adopt a turkey and save a life. You don't need all those added hormones in your body anyway. Customer Rating: Summary: Do not buy this book Comment: A really, really bad story. A turkey is chased out of his home and hunted down through the woods. Here is a sample: "Turkey's legs bent in the middle as he fell. Mr.Moose put a booted hoof on his head and smiled..."I hope you don't have other plans for Thanksgiving, Turkey...My wife won't mind that you're too fat". The Turkey is than dragged back to Moose's house, where...SURPRISE!!, it turnes out he is a guest, not dinner. Is that supposed to be heartwarming?!
My four year old daughter who loves books, had a strange look on her face when I read this book to her (once), and then asked to please not read it to her again!! I won't. It went straight to the recycling bin. Customer Rating: Summary: Ms. Wirey's Class Book Review Comment: This book is about Thanksgiving. We all thought that this book was really funny. We learned that having friends is good. Our class learned some new words. The book told us what happens at Thanksgiving. Everyone one should read this good book.
