We Gather Together...Now Please Get Lost!

We Gather Together... Now Please Get Lost! tells a story of Thanksgiving that younger kids ages 4-7 can easily relate to. Gilbert's class goes on a field trip to Pilgrim Town the day before Thanksgiving, but everything goes wrong. He wakes up late, misses breakfast, is late to school, gets stuck with the class tattle-tale and even gets locked in the public restroom when everyone deserts him except for his partner who he was attempting to desert. The book contains several episodes of bad behavior, but that is shadowed by the excellent behavior and true thankfulness at the end. Young children will immediately know the difference between the good behavior and bad behavior and it makes for interesting discussion throughout the book. At times I felt a couple of pages were too dark for easy reading, but the storyline is nicely put together and appropriately illustrated to reflect the fall season. I recommend this book for Kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms preparing for Thanksgiving, as well as a nice gift book for any child ages 4-7 who is anticipating Thanksgiving.

Let me tell you a feel-good story. It involves love - the love of a mother for her daughter, and a child's passionate, exhilarated, uncomplicated love for books. This is the true story of Deb Raymer, and her daughter Sabrina, and how I came to know them. This holiday season, I am grateful that Deb has shared parts of her story, and that through her mom, Sabrina has shared a wonderful cast of characters previously unknown to me. A couple of months ago, Deb asked me to help her find a series of books. All Sabrina wants for Christmas is "Gilbert". Deb needed to order multiple copies of each book in the collection, she explained. Sabrina loves the "Gilbert" books so much, that she reads them to pieces. Literally. While I am always thrilled to see someone who loves books that much, that's not even the best part of the story. Sabrina is mentally and physically handicapped. She has a job at Partners in Progress that she enjoys. Whenever she rides to work on the bus, she has a "Gilbert" book - or two, or three - in her bag, and she "reads" them to the other passengers. Sabrina has memorized her favorite books. Her mother needs to keep buying new copies of them because Sabrina pages through them so much and so often that they fall apart. Gilbert, the hedgehog, and his sister Lola, are creations from the paintbrush and pen of Diane de Groat. This author/illustrator started working in children's literature by doing the artwork for some well-known children's authors, such as Lois Lowry and Eve Bunting. De Groat started on her Gilbert series in 1996 with "Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink", which is still Sabrina's favorite. I hadn't heard of de Groat, and Deb gave my literary ego a boost by reassuring me that I'm not alone. Often, when Deb and Sabrina have searched for Gilbert in libraries and bookstores, he is nowhere to be found. So, it's time to spread the word. Diane de Groat has created a fun, inexpensive series with sympathetic characters, situations that kids can relate to, and a little lesson that doesn't come across like a 2"x 4" to the forehead. The titles themselves produce a smile for kids and adults alike. Now there's a Gilbert for every season in a child's life. A reader can start school with Gilbert in "Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books" and end the school year with the companion volume, "No More Pencils, No More Books! No More Teacher's Dirty Looks!" In these final months of the year, we have been enjoying "We Gather Together, Now Please Get Lost" for Thanksgiving, and "Jingle Bells, Homework Smells" for Christmas. The Gilbert books have been so successful that now his sister Lola has her own series, books for slightly younger children, that often include Gilbert, but from Lola's point-of-view. When Lola can't decide what to be for Halloween, she finally decides to be "a Gilbert", because she knows he's an original. I think Sabrina and Lola are on to something good. Author,"Hobo Finds A Home"

This story struck me by surprise. The cover of this book looks like a traditional Thanksgiving story, but the title proves differently. I enjoyed the in-depth message portrayed by this story. Its message is of one that promotes acceptance and respect for all students. The illustrations in this book are outstanding. The colors and facial expressions bring the pages of this story to life. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a book that provides a modern twist to a general Thanksgiving story.