Illustrator: Lee Harper
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Reference (October 1, 2009)
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 years
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
It's not easy being a turkey especially on Thanksgiving. In Wendy Silvano's book Turkey Trouble, one scheming turkey decides that maybe if he doesn't look like a turkey then he won't find himself as the main dish. First, he tries to disguise himself as a horse. When that fails, he moves on to covering up as a cow, sheep, pig and finally a rooster. Unfortunately, when Farmer Jake thinks that the rooster might make a good substitute for the main course if the turkey can't be located, our main bird thinks it is time for an alternative menu plan.
Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving (click here for review) may be one of my favorite non-fiction seasonal picture books, but Turkey Trouble is competing for top rank in my pile of humorous Thanksgiving picture books. The costumes that Turkey devises are hysterical. I found myself giggling out loud as I was reading the book. Young children will love the disguises and the predictable pattern of the text. Silvano's hilarious text is complimented by Harper's comical watercolors. Though the text is strong on it's own, Harper's illustrations really lift this book to a new level. I loved the expressions on the face of the Turkey as he was attempting to hide or when he knew he was outted. And though I figured I had guessed the ending, it was fun to see what twist was in this book.
As an educator, I like having a collection of books around certain topics which can be used to set up a unit or to explore a topic with more depth. This is one picture book that I plan to keep on the top of my seasonal picture books as long as others don't walk away with it. Maybe I should just keep an extra one.
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and may it be filled with lots of blessings!
-Aly
