A Turkey for Thanksgiving

When Mrs. Moose expresses a desire to have a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner in this humorous seasonal picture-book, Mr. Moose sets out to fulfill her wish, eventually joined by woodland friends like Rabbit, Mr. & Mrs Goat and Sheep. To Mr. Moose's surprise, when they find Turkey down by the riverside, that meleagrine figure takes off, leaving our hero to corral him, and make sure he shows up to dinner...

Young readers and listeners will immediately understand Turkey's motivation in A Turkey for Thanksgiving, and will most likely be amused by Mr. Moose's confusion. Turkey, of course, thinks that he will be the dinner, whereas the cervine couple who wish to have him, intend only to make him a guest at their table, rather than the main show more course. This sort of story, which allows the child in on a joke that the book characters do not understand, is often quite entertaining for young people, although I think very sensitive audiences might find it somewhat distressing as well. I also think that a story such as this might lead to a discussion about dietary customs and habits—meat-eating vs. vegetarianism, and so on–so adult readers might want to bear that in mind as well. show less

Mrs. Moose wants a turkey for her Thanksgiving table, so Mr. Moose goes out to get her one. He runs into all the other Thanksgiving guests along the way - bunny, porcupine, sheep, goat, etc. and they all follow along to help him find a turkey. They find a turkey and Mr. Moose marches him home to Mrs. Moose, where they all gather around the table and eat salad, including the turkey, because all of the animals are herbivores.

Cute and funny. There is one very close up illustration of Mr. Moose with his foot on the turkey’s head, which seems out-of-place. You should not put your boot on the head of your dinner guests! I just skip that page when I’m reading. Other than that it’s adorable, and the illustrations of North American animals show more in winter wear are delightful. show less

This is an endearing Holiday tale. Adults will easily see where it's leading, but children may be pleasantly surprised. A beautiful yearly Thanksgiving read.

A funny story in which Mr. Moose is in search of a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, but not for the reason you (or the turkey) may think.

The turkey that is invited to dinner believes that he is destined to be the main course rather than an honored guest. It takes everyone's help to convince him to finally feel at ease at the table. Fun story for Thanksgiving reading though it certainly could dissuade an oversensitive child from eating the bird on the table.

Thanksgiving is best when shared with friends. As Mr. Moose sets out chairs for Mr. & Mrs. Goat, Rabbit, Sheep, and Porcupine, Mrs. Moose reflects that it would be nice to have a real turkey for Thanksgiving. Mr. Moose sets out immediately to find one. With the help of his friends, Mr. Moose finally spots Turkey down by the river. Alarmed, Turkey tries to make his escape, but alas, he is too fat. As Mr. Moose marches Turkey back to the house, Turkey knows he is doomed. He's in for a surprise though when Mrs. Moose sets her eyes on him.

The Bottom Line: This seasonal tale if perfect for a holiday story time. With a surprise twist ending, this endearing picture book celebrates friendship. Illustrated in full-color watercolors in a show more pleasing autumnal palette, this picture book is a classic. Enthusiastically recommended holiday reading for families with little ones ages 4 - 7.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. show less

I thought this was a great Thanksgiving holiday story. It is about a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Moose, who are getting ready to have a nice Thanksgiving lunch with many of their friends including sheep, rabbit, and porcupine. Mrs. Moose explained to Mr. Moose that she wishes they could have a real turkey for Thanksgiving; therefore, Mr. Moose decides to go find a turkey for Mrs. Moose. On his journey, he passes many of this friends including sheep, rabbit, porcupine, and the goats; all tag along to help find the turkey. Before long, Mr. Moose returns home with all of their friends including the turkey, who thinks he is going to be cooked as their meal. Mr. and Mrs. Moose explain to him that he is their friend and not their meal.
I would read show more this to children in kindergarten through third grade. A great time to read this is during the Thanksgiving holiday. When children hear this story they are able to understand the importance of family and friends. Another good time to read this is when students are learning about animals because there are various types of animals throughout the book. show less