Thanksgiving for Emily Ann

PreS-Gr 1—Poor Emily Ann. It's Thanksgiving, and she is feeling decidedly unthankful. Her older brother and sister ignore her, and her parents and grandparents are busy with meal preparations. Although her ever-present dog offers sympathetic companionship, Emily Ann, is feeling sad and alone and decides to hide the roast turkey. Fortunately, before she has time to carry out her naughty plan, her mother ushers her into an empty dining room, where Emily Ann is consoled by the sight of her prize-winning place mats and a gaggle of relatives who suddenly appear. Told in rhyme that occasionally feels as forced as the trite message, Thanksgiving for Emily Ann is a missed opportunity to recognize a child's honest experience of the holiday. The mixed-media and digital artwork has a homey, vintage feel, but the otherwise engaging illustrations are marred by the lack of consistency with the fatuous text.—Lynn Van Auken, Oak Bluffs School, Oak Bluffs, MA