The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving

While I can appreciate the criticism some readers have offered on this book, I say the bottom line matters: my children love it. The simple text and nice pictures make the subject accessible for young ones. They take it off the shelf even when Thanksgiving is months away. Many questions follow: why could they not pray the way they wanted? Why did Indians kill deer to survive? Why did women and girls have to work on Thanksgiving? In my opinion, this book - or should I say the introduction to history - opens the door to further learning. As a result, we bought other books on specific subjects (like about Native Americans). Sure, "Pilgrims's First Thanksgiving" could go into a lot more detail, but that would make it a book for older kids. Highly recommended as is.

This book is informative about the Thanksgiving Tradition and the illistrations are lovely. I want my grandchildren to know why we have Thanksgiving and that it is more than Football Games and Big Shopping.

The previous edition of this book, published in 1973, has been a favorite introduction to the Pilgrims for primary students in our school for many years. Written at about a third grade reading level, it works as a readable chapter book, as well as a quick read-aloud. The black, white and turquoise drawings in the older version were adequate, but the text always deserved more detailed and interesting illustrations. While I have not see this new edition, it appears that this situation has now been remedied.My students have always taken an interest in the kid's perspective of life aboard the Mayflower and during the first year at Plymouth. They love to know that the Pilgrims took two dogs and a cat with them. They wonder about the "same old salted beef and fish" that had to be eaten. They plug their noses when they think about the Pilgrims wearing "the same clothes every day," even sleeping in them. They marvel at the straw roofs of the new homes being set on fire by sparks that flew up the chimney. They are stunned to learn that good manners meant children had to stand during meals, and that they could only speak when spoken to by an adult. Then my students smack their lips at the many foods that were eaten at the first Thanksgiving: wild turkeys, geese, ducks, deer, lobsters, clams, oysters and fish, not to mention the many vegetables, and of course, popcorn.I look forward to adding the new edition of this classic to our library collection.

Wonderful full color, life-like illustrations on every page. You won't waste your money on this PILGRIMS ! Very well done prespective of the pilgrim children's lives. How did they spend their time? Good introduction to Squanto. Happy Thanksgiving !