Merrily Comes Our Harvest In: Poems for Thanksgiving

by Ben Shecter (Editor), Ben Shecter (Other Contributor)

This warm and humorous look at that uniquely American holiday features poems from a variety of celebrated poets. Two color.

Genres: Thanksgiving, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Abigail]

Children's poet and poetry anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins presents twenty Thanksgiving poems in this lovely little collection, with the poetic selections paired with black and white illustrations from Ben Shecter. Here we have poems celebrating the beauties of the season, the history of the holiday, and the pleasure of the feast. The happiness of gathering with friends and family, and the importance of thankfulness are also explored. One of my favorite selections was Alice Crowell Hoffman's November's Gift:

November is a lady
In a plain gray coat
That's very closely buttoned
Up around her throat.

And after she's been roaming
All around the town,
She reaches in her pocket,
Deep, deep down,

Then pulls out a present,
And with laughter gay,
Says to everybody,
"Here's Thanksgiving Day!"

That being said, I enjoyed most of the poem here, both for the themes they explore and for their well-constructed form and readability. Thanksgiving Magic by Rowena Bastin Bennett was another particular favorite, with its descriptions of the enchantment of seasonal cookery. There are one or two poems here that some readers might found outdated—chiefly those addressing the "Pilgrims and Indians" narrative of the First Thanksgiving—but for the most part these poems are as delightful now as when this collection was first published, back in 1978. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for fun, poetic Thanksgiving titles.

[Roberta]

This is a very nice little book of children's poems for Thanksgiving illustrated by Ben Shecter. I especially liked "A Thanksgiving Thought" by Bobbi Katz and "Thanksgiving Magic" by Rowena Bastin Bennett. "All in a Word" by Aileen Fisher was cute, too.