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Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving
Includes questions and answers about the history of Thanksgiving, along with jokes and riddles, a craft activity, and a brief look at other harvest celebrations around the world today.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Peter Roop
162 books12 followersPeter Roop is an award-winning author and educator who has written over one hundred children’s books including biographies, novels, humor, picture books, and science books. Seven of his books are Reading Rainbow books, including the Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie. In 2013, the Wisconsin Library Association recognized Peter and his wife, Connie Roop, as Notable Wisconsin Authors for their body of work, and Peter has been named a Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year. The Roops live in Appleton, Wisconsin.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 23, 2016
Kids would really enjoy the beginning with all of the Thanksgiving-themed jokes. They’d get a kick out of them and probably go around telling them to everyone. The illustrations were so cute and colorful; they were so intricate there was a lot to look at. The title pages were the best. There was a big woven wreath with the author’s dedication, with an adorable little scarecrow, a turkey, pumpkins and leaves and a purple bird. The other page had a frame with fruits and leaves and arrows and drums and pumpkins, it was so cute. Kids were seated at a table with a feast before them. The little girls with headbands and feathers were so cute.
The writing was simple, way too simple. “You sleep late. There is no school today. Delicious aromas fill the house. Your cousins will be arriving soon. You hurry to the kitchen for a pumpkin cookie still warm from baking. You watch a parade or football game on television. What day is it? Thanksgiving!” It was so stilted, just short sentences crammed together that didn’t read well.
The second page took a turn; I don’t know why the first page was so simply written and juvenile, for first readers, and then the second one was so different. It didn’t go together at all. In response to “When was the first Thanksgiving?” the sentences were much longer and used bigger words and concepts, definitely written for older children. The information wasn’t presented well, and I don’t know how much kids would get out of this.
Native Americans had feasts and harvest festivals before the Pilgrims, which is nice info, but the rest was just too much. The Iroquois had the Green Corn Festival celebrating bountiful harvests of pumpkins, berries, corn, beans and squash. The first European Thanksgiving in North America was in 1580 in Newfoundland, which I’d never heard of. The second was in Maine in 1607. The third was in Virginia in 1618. It was a laundry list of dates and places that I couldn’t even hope to remember, so kids obviously aren’t going to retain this. The “first” Thanksgiving of the Pilgrims was in 1621, don’t know where this information came from, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Apparently 91 Indians were present, which contradicts other books I’ve read that say 90 were there. Maybe it’s better not to give an exact number.
I have never heard this information in my life. The Pilgrims were actually called Separatists—because they wanted to separate from the official church of England—and they wanted to move to America so they could practice their own religion. They left Plymouth, England—never heard of it, didn’t know the Plymouth name existed where they originally came from. There were 42 Separatists—try getting kids to say that…--who called themselves Saints, and 60 other people wanting a new life, that the Separatists called Strangers..like what kind of story is this.
William Bradford was the only one to refer to them as Pilgrims. They didn’t call themselves that. That’s interesting. The Mayflower sailed at 2 mph, which meant they traveled around 48 miles a day. 1/3 of the group were children under 15 years old. They were trying to sail to the Hudson River in NY, not Massachusetts. 15 males had the name John and 5 females were named Mary. Interesting to learn the most popular names.
The Pilgrims brought dried food, clothes, tools, furniture, seeds, and other supplies. They brought knives, mirrors, beads and cloth to trade with the Indians. I’m also learning for the first time that they brought two dogs, a few chickens, goats and hogs. Every book I read on the first Thanksgiving has conflicting information, so I can’t believe any of it!
This said there were beds on the ship, that they slept 3 to a bed, but I’ve already read there were no beds and they all had to sleep on the floor. Whose account should I believe?? Very annoying. I’ve also never heard about a baby being born on board called Oceanus.
It was amusing to read about the kids being bored and getting into trouble. One boy supposedly shot a gun near some kegs of gunpowder and almost blew up the ship. Now I don’t even know whether to believe any of this. Their staple apparently consisted of salt beef, cheese, lemons, biscuits, onions, and dried beans and peas, way more than I’ve ever heard they had. They also had beer, brandy and water..no mention whatsoever of all of the food going bad… 66 days later they landed in America and named the settlement Plymouth after where they had come from.
I’m embarrassed to say how long it took me to figure out this joke:
“What letters did the Pilgrim boy say when he saw there was no food on the table?
O I C U R M T”
Oh I see you are empty..wow.
The Indians showed them how to build shelters, plant corn with fish, trap animals, and hunt silently through the wood for deer and bear.
Also felt stupid with the “How many days would it take two Pilgrims to dig half a hole?
None. No one can dig half a hole!”
Trivia questions always stump me!
I liked that Squanto and Samoset were included. Samoset came to help the Pilgrims in March 1621, at the end of winter. He greeted them in English which surprised them. It’s cool he learned English from fisherman off the coast of Maine. Squanto was the last of the Pawtuxet tribe. Squanto introduced the Pilgrims to Massasoit, who I’ve heard of, chief of the Wampanoags. Massasoit lived in peace with the Pilgrims, a peace that lasted 55 years.
Pilgrims ate cornmeal cakes, roasted corn over open fires, and seasoned their food with wild herbs. Lobsters and eels were steamed in pots, and oysters and slams were baked in the hot coals. They ate dried grapes, gooseberries, strawberries and raspberries.
It was also new to me that Pilgrims didn’t wear black and white clothing with big silver buckles like I was taught. They wore all kinds of bright colors, such as red, green, yellow, purple and white. Women wore skirts, jackets and aprons. They usually wore red, blue purple and green. Men and older boys wore pants that came down to their knees, long shirts and vests. Boys under 6 years old wore dresses.
Pilgrims called cranberries “crane” berries since the flowers looked like cranes when they bloomed. The berries were used to make sauces, jams and drinks. The Indians called them ibimi, which meant bitter berry, and used them as a dye for blankets and to draw poison from wounds. Indians also invented popcorn when they put ears of corn in the fire and the kernels popped out.
The Pilgrims fired their guns at the first Thanksgiving and marched in their armor. Indians shot their bow and arrows at targets. There were foot races and jumping contests and wrestling.
Thanksgiving was set on the last Thursday in November by Abraham Lincoln, and it’s been an official holiday since 1941.
There was a lot of reading and it took me a while to read the whole thing, mostly because I put it down and didn’t want to read it right away. There were so many words on most of the pages that it was a dread to start reading each one. There was some good information, if it’s true, but it felt longer than 32 pages because of all of the sentences. The illustrations were just ok, nothing too special.
The writing was simple, way too simple. “You sleep late. There is no school today. Delicious aromas fill the house. Your cousins will be arriving soon. You hurry to the kitchen for a pumpkin cookie still warm from baking. You watch a parade or football game on television. What day is it? Thanksgiving!” It was so stilted, just short sentences crammed together that didn’t read well.
The second page took a turn; I don’t know why the first page was so simply written and juvenile, for first readers, and then the second one was so different. It didn’t go together at all. In response to “When was the first Thanksgiving?” the sentences were much longer and used bigger words and concepts, definitely written for older children. The information wasn’t presented well, and I don’t know how much kids would get out of this.
Native Americans had feasts and harvest festivals before the Pilgrims, which is nice info, but the rest was just too much. The Iroquois had the Green Corn Festival celebrating bountiful harvests of pumpkins, berries, corn, beans and squash. The first European Thanksgiving in North America was in 1580 in Newfoundland, which I’d never heard of. The second was in Maine in 1607. The third was in Virginia in 1618. It was a laundry list of dates and places that I couldn’t even hope to remember, so kids obviously aren’t going to retain this. The “first” Thanksgiving of the Pilgrims was in 1621, don’t know where this information came from, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Apparently 91 Indians were present, which contradicts other books I’ve read that say 90 were there. Maybe it’s better not to give an exact number.
I have never heard this information in my life. The Pilgrims were actually called Separatists—because they wanted to separate from the official church of England—and they wanted to move to America so they could practice their own religion. They left Plymouth, England—never heard of it, didn’t know the Plymouth name existed where they originally came from. There were 42 Separatists—try getting kids to say that…--who called themselves Saints, and 60 other people wanting a new life, that the Separatists called Strangers..like what kind of story is this.
William Bradford was the only one to refer to them as Pilgrims. They didn’t call themselves that. That’s interesting. The Mayflower sailed at 2 mph, which meant they traveled around 48 miles a day. 1/3 of the group were children under 15 years old. They were trying to sail to the Hudson River in NY, not Massachusetts. 15 males had the name John and 5 females were named Mary. Interesting to learn the most popular names.
The Pilgrims brought dried food, clothes, tools, furniture, seeds, and other supplies. They brought knives, mirrors, beads and cloth to trade with the Indians. I’m also learning for the first time that they brought two dogs, a few chickens, goats and hogs. Every book I read on the first Thanksgiving has conflicting information, so I can’t believe any of it!
This said there were beds on the ship, that they slept 3 to a bed, but I’ve already read there were no beds and they all had to sleep on the floor. Whose account should I believe?? Very annoying. I’ve also never heard about a baby being born on board called Oceanus.
It was amusing to read about the kids being bored and getting into trouble. One boy supposedly shot a gun near some kegs of gunpowder and almost blew up the ship. Now I don’t even know whether to believe any of this. Their staple apparently consisted of salt beef, cheese, lemons, biscuits, onions, and dried beans and peas, way more than I’ve ever heard they had. They also had beer, brandy and water..no mention whatsoever of all of the food going bad… 66 days later they landed in America and named the settlement Plymouth after where they had come from.
I’m embarrassed to say how long it took me to figure out this joke:
“What letters did the Pilgrim boy say when he saw there was no food on the table?
O I C U R M T”
Oh I see you are empty..wow.
The Indians showed them how to build shelters, plant corn with fish, trap animals, and hunt silently through the wood for deer and bear.
Also felt stupid with the “How many days would it take two Pilgrims to dig half a hole?
None. No one can dig half a hole!”
Trivia questions always stump me!
I liked that Squanto and Samoset were included. Samoset came to help the Pilgrims in March 1621, at the end of winter. He greeted them in English which surprised them. It’s cool he learned English from fisherman off the coast of Maine. Squanto was the last of the Pawtuxet tribe. Squanto introduced the Pilgrims to Massasoit, who I’ve heard of, chief of the Wampanoags. Massasoit lived in peace with the Pilgrims, a peace that lasted 55 years.
Pilgrims ate cornmeal cakes, roasted corn over open fires, and seasoned their food with wild herbs. Lobsters and eels were steamed in pots, and oysters and slams were baked in the hot coals. They ate dried grapes, gooseberries, strawberries and raspberries.
It was also new to me that Pilgrims didn’t wear black and white clothing with big silver buckles like I was taught. They wore all kinds of bright colors, such as red, green, yellow, purple and white. Women wore skirts, jackets and aprons. They usually wore red, blue purple and green. Men and older boys wore pants that came down to their knees, long shirts and vests. Boys under 6 years old wore dresses.
Pilgrims called cranberries “crane” berries since the flowers looked like cranes when they bloomed. The berries were used to make sauces, jams and drinks. The Indians called them ibimi, which meant bitter berry, and used them as a dye for blankets and to draw poison from wounds. Indians also invented popcorn when they put ears of corn in the fire and the kernels popped out.
The Pilgrims fired their guns at the first Thanksgiving and marched in their armor. Indians shot their bow and arrows at targets. There were foot races and jumping contests and wrestling.
Thanksgiving was set on the last Thursday in November by Abraham Lincoln, and it’s been an official holiday since 1941.
There was a lot of reading and it took me a while to read the whole thing, mostly because I put it down and didn’t want to read it right away. There were so many words on most of the pages that it was a dread to start reading each one. There was some good information, if it’s true, but it felt longer than 32 pages because of all of the sentences. The illustrations were just ok, nothing too special.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2016
The little boy's pj shirt on the first page looks weird.
Heard it mentioned in Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation, now again here. That what we know as The First Thanksgiving, wasn’t actually the first festival of thanks.
Native Americans held thanksgiving and harvest festivals. The Iroquois had Green Corn Dance celebration.
Mentions the thanksgivings, 1580, 1607, 1618, and finally 1621.
In early 1600s King James I didn't allow other religions beside his own.
Left Plymouth, England. Didn't know Plymouth was a town in England too!
42 separatists. 60 Strangers.
William Bradford called his fellow travelers pilgrims, but they didn't call themselves that.
1/3 were ppl under 15. So many John and Mary's! I've never known any of the kids names before. I wanna know the other names!
It traveled 2 mph!
20 sailors.
They took things like mirrors, knives beads, and cloth to trade with Indians. They knew they were there!
2 dogs, chickens, goats& hogs.
A baby was born on board, names Oceanus!
A boy almost blew up the ship shooting a gun too close to gunpowder. Is this real?
46 out of 102 died.
'They had made friends with the Indians.' they skipped over it!
I love the part that Edward Winslow had written! We have actual words from them!
It mentioned all the things the Indians helped them do, planting crops, hunting, building homes, without mentioning Squanto.
For the joke about the pilgrims counting on their fingers, the girls hand looks like a webbed mitten or something.
Samoset was the first to meet them, in march 1621,& spoke English to them.
Squanto chose to live with them. It said he taught them how to plant corn, shoot deer, trap rabbits, plants to eat, and how to catch fish. Which was redundant, because it said 2 pages ago the Indians helped them with those things. It should have said this first.
I've never seen Squanto or Samoset with a Mohawk!
I didn't like how the pilgrims story just ended suddenly,& then it went to modern times and why we eat what we eat.& what the pilgrims ate.
Interesting to learn again that they didn't wear black& white, they liked colors. Women liked red, blue, purple and green. Me and my sisters fav colors!!
Nice facts at the end.
Kids will learn a lot about pilgrims and thanksgiving here.
Like how Indians pop popcorn.
& Benjamin Franklin wanted turkeys to be the national animal. I knew those already.
I didn't know George Washington first declared thanksgiving! Then Lincoln made it the last Thursday.
National holiday in 1941! That's so late.
Interesting to learn about other places celebrating thanksgiving. Canada has theirs in October.
Other countries have harvest festivals by way of thanks, like Japanese lantern festival.
This is nice to broaden children's minds to other cultures.
Nice to have kids make turkeys for their tables!
More jokes at the end. Makes it interactive.
Heard it mentioned in Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation, now again here. That what we know as The First Thanksgiving, wasn’t actually the first festival of thanks.
Native Americans held thanksgiving and harvest festivals. The Iroquois had Green Corn Dance celebration.
Mentions the thanksgivings, 1580, 1607, 1618, and finally 1621.
In early 1600s King James I didn't allow other religions beside his own.
Left Plymouth, England. Didn't know Plymouth was a town in England too!
42 separatists. 60 Strangers.
William Bradford called his fellow travelers pilgrims, but they didn't call themselves that.
1/3 were ppl under 15. So many John and Mary's! I've never known any of the kids names before. I wanna know the other names!
It traveled 2 mph!
20 sailors.
They took things like mirrors, knives beads, and cloth to trade with Indians. They knew they were there!
2 dogs, chickens, goats& hogs.
A baby was born on board, names Oceanus!
A boy almost blew up the ship shooting a gun too close to gunpowder. Is this real?
46 out of 102 died.
'They had made friends with the Indians.' they skipped over it!
I love the part that Edward Winslow had written! We have actual words from them!
It mentioned all the things the Indians helped them do, planting crops, hunting, building homes, without mentioning Squanto.
For the joke about the pilgrims counting on their fingers, the girls hand looks like a webbed mitten or something.
Samoset was the first to meet them, in march 1621,& spoke English to them.
Squanto chose to live with them. It said he taught them how to plant corn, shoot deer, trap rabbits, plants to eat, and how to catch fish. Which was redundant, because it said 2 pages ago the Indians helped them with those things. It should have said this first.
I've never seen Squanto or Samoset with a Mohawk!
I didn't like how the pilgrims story just ended suddenly,& then it went to modern times and why we eat what we eat.& what the pilgrims ate.
Interesting to learn again that they didn't wear black& white, they liked colors. Women liked red, blue, purple and green. Me and my sisters fav colors!!
Nice facts at the end.
Kids will learn a lot about pilgrims and thanksgiving here.
Like how Indians pop popcorn.
& Benjamin Franklin wanted turkeys to be the national animal. I knew those already.
I didn't know George Washington first declared thanksgiving! Then Lincoln made it the last Thursday.
National holiday in 1941! That's so late.
Interesting to learn about other places celebrating thanksgiving. Canada has theirs in October.
Other countries have harvest festivals by way of thanks, like Japanese lantern festival.
This is nice to broaden children's minds to other cultures.
Nice to have kids make turkeys for their tables!
More jokes at the end. Makes it interactive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2022
Very big words for younger kids I would say 7+ would enjoy
April 1, 2014
This picture book is designed to teach children about the origin of the Thanksgiving holiday. It falls under the fiction category because there are no sources cited anywhere throughout the book. The authors use a combination of fun and serious by intertwining stories of the first Thanksgiving, and jokes like "How did the Pilgrims spell mousetrap with just three letters? CAT." But throughout the jokes are stories about when the first thanksgiving took place, who the pilgrims were, what it was like on the Mayflower, why the pilgrims celebrated thanksgiving, were there Indians at the first Thanksgiving, which Indians helped the Pilgrims when they arrived in America, why we eat things like Turkey and Pumpkin Pie on Thanksgiving, what Pilgrims wear, and why Thanksgiving is in November. The illustrations throughout the book are fun and bright, but are clearly designed for a younger audience. The illustrations add to the story, without taking any focus off the facts being told.
December 4, 2014
This is one of the best children's Thanksgiving books I have read. I like it because it has funny jokes, facts, history and crafts! I learned a thing or too!
What was really cool and unique is that it discussed different Thanksgiving Celebration around the world. Such as Canada has a Thanksgiving in October. Hindi and Japanese have Thanksgiving festivals!..Never would have thought about people other than Canadians and US having a formal Thanksgiving Celebration..>Bring on the Turkey!
Thanks! A fun one to read the day before the US Celebration of Thanksgiving.
What was really cool and unique is that it discussed different Thanksgiving Celebration around the world. Such as Canada has a Thanksgiving in October. Hindi and Japanese have Thanksgiving festivals!..Never would have thought about people other than Canadians and US having a formal Thanksgiving Celebration..>Bring on the Turkey!
Thanks! A fun one to read the day before the US Celebration of Thanksgiving.
July 9, 2009
I like that this book explains that we don't know for sure about certain aspects of Thanksgiving, but that these are our best guess. I also like at the end it talks about how different cultures celebrate their own thankfulness.
December 9, 2014
I liked this book. It is very informative but not boring thanks to the fun facts. The riddles throughout the book were funny. Some people might not really enjoy the ridles, but I liked it. I thinks this book is a good informative book about Thanksgiving because of the little humors.
November 9, 2010
Shared with kids during homeschool Thanksgiving program.
Read
November 9, 2013NF 394.2649 Roop
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews