Duck for Turkey Day

Duck for Turkey Day

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4.0 of 5 stars 4.00  ·  rating details  ·  61 ratings  ·  31 reviews
It's almost Thanksgiving, and Tuyet is excited about the holiday and the vacation from school. There's just one problem: her Vietnamese American family is having duck for Thanksgiving dinner - not turkey! Nobody has duck for Thanksgiving - what will her teacher and the other kids think? To her surprise, Tuyet enjoys her yummy thanksgiving dinner anyhow - and an even bigger...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published September 1st 2009 by Albert Whitman & Company
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Victoria
Apr 17, 2012 Victoria added it
Shelves: text-set
Duck for Turkey Day is a story about how a young girl, Tuyet, struggles with not eating turkey with her family on Thanksgiving. Tuyet tries to convince her mother that they must eat turkey for dinner, but does not succeed. Her grandmother and cousins also seem to be excited rather than upset about eating duck on Thanksgiving. Tuyet ends up having a great Thanksgiving, enjoying her family's company and their traditional foods. When she returns to school, Tuyet is embarrassed to share with the cla...more
Ina
This is a great book to remind us that we "Americans" are often from other places in the world and that we are a culture of many traditions. Tuyet is a young Vietnamese-American girl, who enjoys all her class preparations for Thanksgiving. When her teacher wishes them all a "Happy Turkey Day" she excitedly comes home to talk to her mom about getting turkey for the big day...only to be told that at their house they would be serving duck in a spicy sauce. As the daughter of non-American parents, I...more
Jennifer Kim
“Duck for Turkey Day” tells a fictional story about a Vietnamese girl and her feelings of confusion between her Vietnamese culture at home and American culture at school. This story tells of how the young girl, Tuyet, finds out how her family will be having duck rather than turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. She is upset and fearful until she finds out that her fellow peers have different experiences on Thanksgiving Day as well. This story could teach my students about holidays and school environme...more
Angela
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Lisa
Probably a 4 from me and a 4.5 or 5 from my kids due to the unintentional laugh line at the end (see note below). I liked that this book explored what other families eat for Thanksgiving... and that there was acceptance and appreciation on the main character's part at the end for her own traditions.

Personal Note: My family thought it was hysterical that they mentioned the vegetarian family and their tofurky. This was not meant to be humorous at all but my two kids burst out laughing since I hav...more
Anne
Tuyet has been doing a lot of things with her class at school before they let out for the Thanksgiving holiday: making pine cone turkeys, singing turkey songs, learning about pilgrims and Native Americans. Their teacher let's them out at the end of the day and tells them to have a happy turkey day. When Tuyet gets home, her mom talks about the duck they are going to cook for their family. Tuyet is upset that they will not be eating turkey for turkey day. She even looks to see if she has enough m...more
Jackie
Tuyet learns a valuable lesson after she is sad that her Vietnamese family only has duck on Thanksgiving Day. She is sure that families must have turkey in America to celebrate the big day, after all, she learned all about the traditions in school.

But when Mrs. Cook, her teacher, asks everyone how Turkey Day was, Tuyet is surprised to learn that many of her classmates celebrated with their own traditional foods too...and she comes to realize that giving thanks is not about what types of foods y...more
Kathryn
4.5 STARS

Tuyet and her classmates focus on turkeys, turkeys, turkeys in class leading up to Thanksgiving. When class is out before the Thanksgiving break, Tuyet's teacher even wishes them "Happy Turkey Day!" But when Tuyet gets home, she finds out that her Vietnamese-American family is having *duck* for Thanksgiving! Tuyet is crushed. How will it be a real Thanksgiving feast without turkey!?

This is a sensitive and engaging story to which many children will probably be able to relate, no matter t...more
Janet Chen
I feel that every thanksgiving means something different to every individual. This book does a perfect job on describing that. Instead of eating turkey it explores the different options some individuals might eat on this holiday. I would most definitely read this book before I started talking with my class about what we did on Thanksgiving so students feel comfortable talking about it. It ties in wonderfully with talk about culture.
Gala
Sep 18, 2012 Gala rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: esol
Some children worry just like adults about stuff that does not even matter. Having a duck verses a turkey means a lot to a little girl when the teacher wants the information about that day. I like this culture about food and family.Books like this help all different types of children cope with life concerns that other people who look different but have the same issues.
Katie Finnegan
This is a great book for a multicultural classroom. The story is about Tuyet, a Korean girl living in America who doesn't understand why her family is not making turkey for Thanksgiving. It teaches children that the traditions of other countries and cultures are still important and valued in America, even if they are different than the common American tradition.
Kasmarine
Duck for Turkey Day (2009) is Vietnamese American realistic fiction. Jacqueline Jules suggested that “it doesn’t matter what you eat on Thanksgiving, as long as you have a good time with family and friends.” She developed it through the eye of a Vietnamese girl, Tuyet, who understood that Thanksgiving meant turkey but her family preferred duck. Back to school, Tuyet’s eyes were burn with tears when the teacher ask the class to talk about their dinner, but to her surprise, none of the children h...more
Bonnie
This is a totally charming children's book that is universal in appeal. The gist of the story is that, no matter how you celebrate Thanksgiving, the important part is being with those you love and being thankful for what you have. The children in the book come from all different backgrounds and eat all different kinds of foods (great discussion topic with children), but all come together to celebrate the holiday in their own tradition.
Stacy
This is a great book that teaches children that it does not matter what you eat for Thanksgiving, but be thankful for your family and friends. I think it does a great job of showing that not all children come from the same background but we all have the ability to stop and be thankful for our lives. The pictures in the book are amazing and you really get the feeling that this poor little girl wants some turkey bc she thinks that is the norm, but once she gets to school and sees that not EVERYONE...more
Kaitlin
This is a great story about a young girl, Tuyet, who is Vietnamese. It is almost Thanksgiving and she is worried about going back to school and admitting to everybody that her family did not eat Turkey! they ate Duck. She soon realizes that not all her classmates ate Turkey either which is a huge relief.
Callie Risse
Tuyet is afraid that she will be teased because her family has duck on Thanksgiving instead of turkey. When she comes back to school, she learns that everybody celebrated Thanksgiving differently, and that family is what matters most on holidays.
pati morán montaño
Enjoyed reading about the main character Tuyet but didn't appreciate the giving thanks "For America" or the food stereotypes when the children discussed their meals the next day at school(enchiladas, tofurkey, lamb, chicken with noodles).
Kirei
Tuyet's Vietnamese-American family is having duck for Thanksgiving. But she is embarrassed it is not turkey! She tells her teacher she had duck, and the other kids say what they had: Noodles, roast beef, tofu turkey, enchiladas, etc.
Candice M (tinylibrarian)
"It doesn't matter what you eat on Thanksgiving, as long as you have a good time with family and friends." - from Duck for Turkey Day

A super cute, multicultural story about Thanksgiving.
Sam
I liked this book because none of the kids had just plain turkey. What I learned is you don't have to have turkey on Thanksgiving. What's important about it is that we get to spend time with family.
Lauren
Tuyet worries that her family's Vietnamese traditions and preferences will make her seem strange to her teacher and classmates. Tuyet learns a valuable lesson about cultural diversity.
John
Growing up it seemed perfectly normal to serve potato salad, German potato salad, and kidney bean salad on Thanksgiving. It wasn't until college I discovered it was not "normal."
The Styling Librarian
Really excited to see this picture book that connected to another world awareness, fitting in, misunderstanding and celebration through education. Loved reading!
Amanda
Great book to talk about different cultural traditions. Simple pictures and words for young readers.
Krista the Krazy Kataloguer
Tuyet and her schoolmates are looking forward to Thanksgiving Day--except that Tuyet knows that her Vietnamese parents will be serving duck instead of turkey. She tries to get them interested in turkey, but to no avail. How will she be able to tell her classmates that she didn't share in that Thanksgiving tradition? I liked this story because it emphasized that we all give thanks in our own way, and that Thanksgiving can be a multicultural holiday. Reading this book made me hungry, and left me w...more
Ariel Rudicel
fun was to describe how other kids celebrate holidays differently!
Marge
Feb 21, 2010 Marge added it
Shelves: picture-book
everyone in the class has something different for thanksgiving
Hatka Prozorac
The book Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Day focuses on Thanksgiving from a Vietnamese perspective. The book can be used to discuss Thanksgiving with students. The book also describes family sturcture and customs withn American and Vietnamese cultures. This book can be used in Kindergarten-2 grade classrooms.
Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge
Great introduction to the multicultural collection. Reminds us that our classrooms are made up off many different cultures that need to be celebrated. P.K.
Kathryn
A little girl from Viet Nam learns that turkey does not make Thanksgiving a perfect day - duck is just fine.
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662012
I am a children's author, teacher, librarian, and poet.
My books include Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Takes Off, Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation, No English, Sarah Laughs, Benjamin and the Silver Goblet, and Duck for Turkey Day. Please visit me at http://www.jacquelinejules.com
More about Jacqueline Jules...
Zapato Power: Freddy Ramos Takes Off No English Freddie Ramos Springs into Action (Zapato Power, #2) Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Union Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Makes a Splash (Book 4)

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