Twelve brief poems about Thanksgiving are presented in this early-reader from author/illustrator team Jack Prelutsky and Marylin Hafner. From the opening selection, "It's Happy Thanksgiving," which chronicles a young boy's experience of the holiday celebration at his Grandma's, to the final one, "Leftovers," which follows a young girl who is sick and tired to turkey this and turkey that, the selections here are lighthearted and humorous. Some seem a bit dated (the obligatory, and overly cheerful "The First Thanksgiving"), and others a little tone-deaf ("If Turkeys Thought"), but for the most part, I can see these poems still finding an audience, especially as a read-aloud to young children, or as a beginning reader for those just getting going on their own.

Prelutsky and Hafner, who have collaborated on other holiday poem collections - It's Halloween, It's Christmas - do a capable job with It's Thanksgiving, which first saw print in 1982, as part of Greenwillow Books' "Read-Alone" series of beginning readers, and which has subsequently been included in Harper's more famous "I Can Read" collection. The poems are, with the exceptions noted above, appealing, and the artwork humorous. The illustrations have a very 80s feel to me, which makes sense, given the date of publication, and which made me feel somewhat nostalgic for the kind of book I would check out of the public library as a girl. That said, I don't think they're so dated that they won't have any appeal for today's child reader. Recommended to anyone looking for Thanksgiving early readers, although vegetarians might want to give it a miss, given the omnipresence of turkeys and turkey consumption, in these poems. ( )

Historically misleading: Wampanoag's didn't use tipis, for example.

This children's picture book is written by Children's Poet Laureate, Jack Prelutsky, and contains twelve poems about thanksgiving. The poems cover many different aspects of the holiday, its history, some of the traditions, the wishbone, leftovers, and football. Most of the poems fit the category narrative poems from the poetry genre, because they are used to tell a story. In this book, there are twelve short stories told using rhymes and narrative poetry.

It’s Thanksgiving is a collection of poems about Thanksgiving that tell a story. It is also a picture book written as a fourth level reader. The Illustrations a drawn in browns and oranges, that helps set the stage and mood of the story. The poems are also humorous.
Personal reflection: Reading the poems made me laugh and brought back memories of how Thanksgiving was when I was a child. I found the illustrations fun and helps tell the poems. I would like to read this during the week before Thanksgiving break.
Extension ideas: Have the students write a poem about thanks giving
Illustrate their poem
make a book of all the students poems for them to share. ( )

Prelutsky has provided some Thanksgiving poems that are certain to be hit with elementary school aged children. Marylin Hafner provided the illustrations which are fitting. ( )