National Holidays

Patterned as a parody of the celebrated Clement Moore poem, this story of eight baby turkeys unfolds with joyous abandon and crackling vitality, as eight children embark on a Thanksgiving field trip that will change their lives forever. They are breathless as they catch sight of Farmer Mack Nuggett for the first time: “He was dressed all in denim, / From his head to his toe, / With a pinch of polyester / And a dash of Velcro.” The exuberant turkeys–Ollie, Stanley, Larry, Moe, Wally, Beaver and Groucho–catch the children up in raucous barnyard antics until the merriment is quelled by the sight of the ax. Deeply touched by the turkeys’ plight, the children–who have grown mysteriously fatter and have feathers sticking out from under their clothes–board the bus to go back to the city. The next night, family silhouettes can be seen–each with a grateful turkey guest–as “They feasted on veggies / With jelly and toast.” This humorous, lighthearted story is adorned with bold, bright illustrations that convey a sense of wacky high-spiritedness sometimes lacking in traditional holiday fare. Ages 4-7.

From School Library Journal

Pilkey has adapted Clement Moore’s classic poem for another holiday. The day before Thanksgiving finds eight boys and girls of various races taking a field trip to a turkey farm. Although Farmer Mack Nuggett seems kind at first, the children eventually discover his horrible plan to kill the turkeys for Thanksgiving dinners. Smuggling the turkeys home with them, the children save the birds, who join eight families for vegetarian dinners. The weakest part of this slapstick offering is the verse, in part because the story isn’t at all parallel to Moore’s and in part because of the stretches in rhyme to accommodate a pre-existing pattern. Some of the word play will escape children. Similarly, visual humor such as the placement of Farmer Nuggett and the teacher in an “American Gothic” pose will remain unappreciated by those too young for Grant Wood. The cartoon illustrations reinforce the story’s general silliness but are unremarkable in themselves. Those seeking Thanksgiving humor will better served by Marc Brown’s Arthur’s Thanksgiving (Little, 1983), while those looking for a human-turkey relationship should dust off Lorna Balian’s Sometimes It’s Turkey, Sometimes It’s Feathers (Abingdon, 1986). –Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN

Thanksgiving & Christmas: Top 200 Recipes (All Recipes Tried & True)

In TRIED & TRUE – THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS, all of your favorite holiday recipes are collected in one comprehensive cookbook, along with essential preparation, meal planning, and cooking tips.

Featuring:

• Homestyle Turkey —the Michigander Way,
• Hot Buttered Rum Batter,
• Rockin’ Oysters Rockefeller, and
• Santa’s Favorite Cake,

this festive TRIED & TRUE volume includes those treasured dishes that families have shared for generations.

Betty Crocker Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook is the complete hands-on guide to cooking a great Thanksgiving dinner–from Americas most trusted friend in the kitche.

Thanksgiving showcases cooking like no other holiday, as family and friends from near and far gather to share this special harvest-time meal. But while it sparks joyous feelings of celebration, this focus on food can also mean major stress for those in charge of preparing the feast and getting it on the table.

At last! Betty Crocker comes to the rescue with this complete do-it-yourself guide to making a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings–and none of the headaches. Perfect for beginners and Thanksgiving “first-timers” as well as more experienced cooks, it includes 130 of Betty Crockers most popular and time-tested Thanksgiving recipes. The book covers a range of recipes, from traditional roasting to new and interesting cooking variations like brining, grilling, and even deep-frying turkeys, plus lots of great ideas for sides, desserts, and more. Twelve count-down menus cover every aspect of the meal–such as when to set the table and how to time the gravy so its ready to serve at just the right time. The menus suit a whole range of lifestyles and situations, from dinner for two to dinner for twenty, from vegetarian and low-fat menus to a super-simple, low-stress menu for first-time cooks.

Complete with eight pages of mouthwatering photographs, detailed line drawings, and easy how-tos for turkey stuffing, roasting, carving, and more, Betty Crockers Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook is one guest everyone will want to have in the kitchen this fall and in the years to come.

From the Back Cover

The Complete Hands-On Guide to Cooking a Great Thanksgiving Meal

Whether you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time or have hosted this celebration for years, here’s all you need to know to make your holiday special. Thanksgiving can be the most challenging meal to prepare–even for the most experienced cooks. Betty Crocker comes to the rescue with this complete do-it-yourself guide to making Thanksgiving delicious. Here are the treasured recipes with all the trimmings that you grew up with, plus plenty of great new twists on the traditional.

You’ll find:

• The most popular and time-tested recipes for the classics, from roast turkey with pan gravy and bread stuffing to pumpkin, apple and pecan pies and much more
• New and innovative ways with the bird include brining, grilling, smoking and even deep-frying, plus plenty of inventive ideas for turkey alternatives
• Easy how-to’s for tricky techniques cover carving the turkey, making lump-free gravy and rolling out pie dough, plus how to safely take food on the road
• Menu ideas to suit everyone, whether vegetarian, diabetic, on a low-fat diet, or a first-time cook, plus easy ways to cook for a crowd of 20 or more
• Countdown menus to time every step, from starting some recipes days (or weeks) ahead, to setting the table, to making gravy so it’s piping hot when dinner’s served
• Mouthwatering color photos of your favorite Thanksgiving foods for ideas and inspiration
• 130 tested and trusted recipes in all, to make this year’s Thanksgiving your most memorable–and delicious–feast ever!

Thanksgiving: Festive Recipes for the Holiday Table (Williams Sonoma Kitchen Library)

Whether your tastes run to the traditional or more adventurous, this Thanksgiving can be the tastiest one ever with the help of this Williams-Sonoma cookbook. From first course to last, cooks will find everything they need for a delicious holiday gathering.