The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Then and Now

K-Gr 3—In the first book, much of the text is told as a flashback, with the majority of it relating why the Pilgrims and Wampanoag feasted. This setup is somewhat confusing as the book opens with Massasoit and his men headed to Plymouth, but there is no definite statement as to what they did next. It is assumed they joined the Pilgrims for the celebration, but it is not clear from the text. The gouache illustrations are blurry, which works well for the landscape scenes, but is not effective for the scenes with people. The overall style is reminiscent of folk art. This is an adequate, unromanticized account that sticks to the facts. It's an acceptable addition if early grade material is needed, but is nothing spectacular. Thanksgiving Then and Now, the weaker of the two books, compares and contrasts the Pilgrims' feast to the holiday we celebrate today. It is roughly divided into sections about celebrations, food, and activities. Information about the first Thanksgiving is scattered throughout the text, but it is very general. Statements such as "They [Pilgrims] had napkins, knives, and spoons, but no forks" are contrasted with "we usually use forks, spoons, knives, and napkins." There are no specific dates or names provided. The digitally enhanced acrylic paintings show various historical activities (gathering food, hunting, feasting, and praying) and modern activities (shopping, eating, and watching football and the Macy's parade). The people in the illustrations have disproportionally large heads, making the illustrations appear unrealistic. The book closes with a Venn diagram that shows the differences and commonalities of the historical and modern celebrations.—Lisa Crandall, formerly at Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI