The Thanksgiving Story

Giles, Constance and Damaris Hopkins are all passengers aboard the crowded Mayflower, journeying to the New World to start a new life. Things get a little more cramped when their baby brother Oceanus is born during the passage. However, when they arrive, there are even worse challenges to face as the Pilgrims are subjected to hunger, cold, and sickness that put their small colony in great danger. With the help of the Native Americans though, they might just be able to survive their first year in this strange land--and have a November harvest to celebrate for generations!

This book is probably one of the best picture books telling the thanksgiving story, even though it is over fifty years old. With simple, factual text and simple illustrations, this book is accessible for an early elementary read aloud. The text deliberately avoids adding fictional elements in favor of simply retelling what is known. Significant for a Christian reader, Dalgliesh clearly acknowledges the role of Christianity and God in the actions of the pilgrims. Dalgliesh divides the text into short chapter, allowing the reading to be broken up for younger listeners or beginning readers. Highly recommended.

This story depicts the first Thanksgiving in the New World. It is centered around the Hopkins family and the experience of traveling across the ocean, what life was like on the ship, and what they felt when they heard "Land Ho!" This is fairly didatic in it's writing, and is a lengthy story, so it should be shared with the upper elementary students. The pictures are simple, and only add to the readers mental images, they do not move or tell parts of the story.

I like the book, and am hesitant to call it fiction since there was an acutal Hopkins family that came as pilgrams, and the children in the story use the acutal names. However, since some of the beginning details of the trip to America include simplified facts it can be argued as show more a fiction book. I feel that some of the facts presented are not accurate, and cover up the actual reality of what happened. As a teacher, I would share some of this with my class, not the gory stuff, but the true history that is often covered up.

This is a good book to introduce to students learning about the Pilgrams because it provides simple facts on the conditions experieced during the travel. Classroom extensions can include sharing what students are thankful for. Groups of students could make a diorama of the First Thanksgiving as an art lesson. Science ideas include stuyding seeds and what conditions they need to be in to grow. Weather can be studied, bar charts of how much snow they get compared to OK would be a great math lesson. show less

This book is a good read right before Thanksgiving because it gives insight to the harsh weather, food, and sickness challenges Pilgrims faced when they first came to America on the Mayflower. They got help from Native Americans and celebrated with a great November harvest.

This book is a story about one pilgrim family the Hopkins and their journey on the Mayflower and how they settled on Plymouth Colony and the first Thanksgiving feast with the Indians. It goes on to discuss how they had to endure a rough winter in Plymouth. When spring finally comes the settlers plant crops and they received help from an Indian tribe. They all became friends and have a big Thanksgiving celebration.

Personal Reaction
A very good picture book. I felt it was easier for younger children to understand.

Extension Ideas
1. Discuss the Pilgrims and Indians/ make hats for either, let children pick the one they would like to make.

2. Discuss the food that was serve/ prepare a small Thanksgiving feast.

This is the story of the first Thanksgiving. It is focuses on the Hopkins family and their adventure in coming over in the Mayflower. Through reading it you see how their friendship with the Indians helps give them much more than just food to help them survive.

I liked the book. It is a neat way to show children about Thanksgiving. It had nice illustrations. I understand that Caledcott awards are based on the illustrations.

For extending this book, I would have my class watch Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving movie! Classroom discussion over what the children are thankful for would also be insighful as well.

The journey of the Pilgrims to England told simply for younger children or for a shorter version than Stories of the Pilgrims by Pumphrey. The author clearly acknowledges God and the Puritans Christian beliefs in this retelling.