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Today is Thanksgiving
Today is Thanksgiving, and an icicle breeze nips at your window and whips up the leaves. From baking an apple pie to playing football on a crisp autumn morning to gathering around the table in gratitude, Today Is Thanksgiving! Presents the time-honored traditions of this American holiday. It's lively, rhyming text and colorful illustrations will encourage children to share in the spirit of thanks that surrounds this holiday.
26 pages, Board Book
First published January 1, 1993
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
P.K. Hallinan
87 books34 followersP.K. Hallinan is the author and illustrator of more than 80 children's books, with over 7,500,000 copies sold worldwide. P.K. first began writing and illustrating 35 years ago when his wife asked him to create a picture book as a Christmas gift for their two young sons.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 7, 2013
A fun book about the way that we celebrate Thanksgiving now - including remember pilgrims, the Macy's parade, playing football, gathering with family.
November 16, 2016
How cute, they're looking out of the window at the cold autumn day and think of pilgrims and Indians.
'Pretend you're descending an old Plymouth Rock.' Aw!
Their robes are oversized and lumpy looking. He's got a comb on his head to look like a feather!
Idl rhymes that just rhyme and don't make sense.
'The fragrance of turkey encircles your hair.'
'And the pie's slowly baking--
It's apple, you're guessing.'
Should be pumpkin.
That's cute that the parades on tv!
'So you roll out the door for a stroll in the sun.' You don't roll out the door.
The kids look cute standing outside with rosy cheeks.
You wouldn't have a pic taped to the outside of the door.
'Then with one mighty kick the game starts to click.' The game starts to click? That doesn't make any sense!
I didn't like how the football game suddenly ended and they were in their rooms dressed for dinner.
Auntie Pansy wasn't easy to say.
Weird to have a parakeet in here. It's funny that it said 'Petey the parakeet creeps in his hair' and his legs look like he's walking slowly!!
I wish the paintings in the house were better.
The kid sitting beside the chair has socks that look like baseballs.
The kids look cute grinning before the turkey.
'& the portions keep coming--
The rolls and the yams--
Till your Tummy's so full
It's too crammed to expand.'
That didn't rhyme.
'And the clan drifts away like a tired parade.' I liked that line.
I like the page with the kids looking at the gold harvest moon. How sweet! Captures the fall season.
The story captured thanksgiving day, highlighting the typical event; watching the parade, cooking for dinner, playing football, family arriving, watching tv, gathering at the table, praying, and eating dinner, with the guests leaving, and then ending with the kids looking at the moon. That was a nice ending. However, I felt that each event was rushed, and I wish the illustrations had been better. It was just an ok book, nothing special. But it wasn’t terrible.
'Pretend you're descending an old Plymouth Rock.' Aw!
Their robes are oversized and lumpy looking. He's got a comb on his head to look like a feather!
Idl rhymes that just rhyme and don't make sense.
'The fragrance of turkey encircles your hair.'
'And the pie's slowly baking--
It's apple, you're guessing.'
Should be pumpkin.
That's cute that the parades on tv!
'So you roll out the door for a stroll in the sun.' You don't roll out the door.
The kids look cute standing outside with rosy cheeks.
You wouldn't have a pic taped to the outside of the door.
'Then with one mighty kick the game starts to click.' The game starts to click? That doesn't make any sense!
I didn't like how the football game suddenly ended and they were in their rooms dressed for dinner.
Auntie Pansy wasn't easy to say.
Weird to have a parakeet in here. It's funny that it said 'Petey the parakeet creeps in his hair' and his legs look like he's walking slowly!!
I wish the paintings in the house were better.
The kid sitting beside the chair has socks that look like baseballs.
The kids look cute grinning before the turkey.
'& the portions keep coming--
The rolls and the yams--
Till your Tummy's so full
It's too crammed to expand.'
That didn't rhyme.
'And the clan drifts away like a tired parade.' I liked that line.
I like the page with the kids looking at the gold harvest moon. How sweet! Captures the fall season.
The story captured thanksgiving day, highlighting the typical event; watching the parade, cooking for dinner, playing football, family arriving, watching tv, gathering at the table, praying, and eating dinner, with the guests leaving, and then ending with the kids looking at the moon. That was a nice ending. However, I felt that each event was rushed, and I wish the illustrations had been better. It was just an ok book, nothing special. But it wasn’t terrible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2015
Cute book about a typical American Thanksgiving with cooking, football, and relatives, but it is also rather mundane. This book might be good for children who have not experienced Thanksgiving and also as a reminder for young ones, however grade school children will be ready for something with more substance.
March 30, 2023
Great read
March 30, 2023
I really enjoyed reading this aloud to my son
November 21, 2016
This was a nice, light read with pretty cute artwork. It kind of reminded me of Charlie Brown with the illustrations. I like rhymes, but most of these were bad, so that’s what ruined the book. I would have liked for better Thanksgiving traditions to be included. I thought the football game took up too much time.
“Today is Thanksgiving, and an icicle breeze nips at your window and whips up the leaves.”
I liked the line: “Ah, what a morning! The cold autumn haze brings vision of Pilgrims and Indians . . . and maize!”
It was odd they had an apple pie rather than pumpkin. I think something better could have been used to mark the goals in the football game instead of a jacket and earmuffs. Especially since the kids should be wearing those because it’s so cold out. I don’t know anything about football, so “So many trick plays!” didn’t mean anything to me. “You sneak to the mailbox then streak the wrong way!” I didn’t understand why you would sneak over to a mailbox and then streak the wrong way. It made no sense to me. “And everyone sighs as you end in a tie.” I didn’t think that was the best wording.
When the kids get dressed after the game they “shine like a diamond” which was weird to say about getting dressed, esp for kids.
I didn’t think specific names should be used for the family. I think general “Aunt” and “Uncle” should be used so it feels more inclusive to all readers. “Auntie Pansy” and “Uncle Stan.” I don’t like when people give names to their characters like that. It was weird that the cat was on the table and the dog had the sneezes. Not very Thanksgiving-like.
“Uncle Tobias” was another name I wasn’t fond of. It was amusing that Petey the parakeet creeped in his hair, because his little legs were cute.
“The whole house resounds with hilarious sounds.” Resounds is too big of a word to use for children, and I’m not sure what hilarious sounds they’re making.
I liked that the sight of the turkey brought a round of applause.
It’s cute that “the evening soon fades into games and charades, and the clan drifts away like a tired parade.” And the parakeet is still in the uncle’s hair and he’s looking up at it. Cute touch.
The scene of the boy and girl looking out the window at the golden moon was cute.
“So you head up to bed, then stand in your room, gazing out of the window at the gold harvest moon.
And the last thing you do is smile and say . . .
Thank you for Thanksgiving!
What a wonderful day!”
And the last page showed four scenes of what they did that day. Coming downstairs in robes, the boy with a comb in his hair and a tie tied around his waist, their friends coming over to play football, the kids on the couch and them at the dinner table.
“Today is Thanksgiving, and an icicle breeze nips at your window and whips up the leaves.”
I liked the line: “Ah, what a morning! The cold autumn haze brings vision of Pilgrims and Indians . . . and maize!”
It was odd they had an apple pie rather than pumpkin. I think something better could have been used to mark the goals in the football game instead of a jacket and earmuffs. Especially since the kids should be wearing those because it’s so cold out. I don’t know anything about football, so “So many trick plays!” didn’t mean anything to me. “You sneak to the mailbox then streak the wrong way!” I didn’t understand why you would sneak over to a mailbox and then streak the wrong way. It made no sense to me. “And everyone sighs as you end in a tie.” I didn’t think that was the best wording.
When the kids get dressed after the game they “shine like a diamond” which was weird to say about getting dressed, esp for kids.
I didn’t think specific names should be used for the family. I think general “Aunt” and “Uncle” should be used so it feels more inclusive to all readers. “Auntie Pansy” and “Uncle Stan.” I don’t like when people give names to their characters like that. It was weird that the cat was on the table and the dog had the sneezes. Not very Thanksgiving-like.
“Uncle Tobias” was another name I wasn’t fond of. It was amusing that Petey the parakeet creeped in his hair, because his little legs were cute.
“The whole house resounds with hilarious sounds.” Resounds is too big of a word to use for children, and I’m not sure what hilarious sounds they’re making.
I liked that the sight of the turkey brought a round of applause.
It’s cute that “the evening soon fades into games and charades, and the clan drifts away like a tired parade.” And the parakeet is still in the uncle’s hair and he’s looking up at it. Cute touch.
The scene of the boy and girl looking out the window at the golden moon was cute.
“So you head up to bed, then stand in your room, gazing out of the window at the gold harvest moon.
And the last thing you do is smile and say . . .
Thank you for Thanksgiving!
What a wonderful day!”
And the last page showed four scenes of what they did that day. Coming downstairs in robes, the boy with a comb in his hair and a tie tied around his waist, their friends coming over to play football, the kids on the couch and them at the dinner table.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2014
A really sweet little story about a family Thanksgiving and two kids starting from when they wake up to when they go to bed. Playing football, gathering with family and eating too much turkey dinner. Told in rhyme with colorful captivating pictures.
November 17, 2014
Too many words and cluttered pictures to hold my 9 months old interest. We may try again another year :)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews