Thanksgiving is best when shared with friends. As Mr. Moose sets out chairs for Mr. & Mrs. Goat, Rabbit, Sheep, and Porcupine, Mrs. Moose reflects that it would be nice to have a real turkey for Thanksgiving. Mr. Moose sets out immediately to find one. With the help of his friends, Mr. Moose finally spots Turkey down by the river. Alarmed, Turkey tries to make his escape, but alas, he is too fat. As Mr. Moose marches Turkey back to the house, Turkey knows he is doomed. He's in for a surprise though when Mrs. Moose sets her eyes on him.

The Bottom Line: This seasonal tale if perfect for a holiday story time. With a surprise twist ending, this endearing picture book celebrates friendship. Illustrated in full-color watercolors in a pleasing autumnal palette, this picture book is a classic. Enthusiastically recommended holiday reading for families with little ones ages 4 - 7.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )

Third-grade students enjoyed this read-aloud! Cute story and illustrations. ( )

Spoiler warning: This is a great choice for vegetarians. I'm going to make a whole booklist of Thanksgiving books where the turkey doesn't get eaten. ( )

When Mrs. Moose expresses a desire to have a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner in this humorous seasonal picture-book, Mr. Moose sets out to fulfill her wish, eventually joined by woodland friends like Rabbit, Mr. & Mrs Goat and Sheep. To Mr. Moose's surprise, when they find Turkey down by the riverside, that meleagrine figure takes off, leaving our hero to corral him, and make sure he shows up to dinner...

Young readers and listeners will immediately understand Turkey's motivation in A Turkey for Thanksgiving, and will most likely be amused by Mr. Moose's confusion. Turkey, of course, thinks that he will be the dinner, whereas the cervine couple who wish to have him, intend only to make him a guest at their table, rather than the main course. This sort of story, which allows the child in on a joke that the book characters do not understand, is often quite entertaining for young people, although I think very sensitive audiences might find it somewhat distressing as well. I also think that a story such as this might lead to a discussion about dietary customs and habits—meat-eating vs. vegetarianism, and so on–so adult readers might want to bear that in mind as well. ( )

I would read around Thanksgiving time ( )