Thanksgiving in the Woods

Based upon an annual community Thanksgiving feast held in the woods on an upstate New York farm, this lovely seasonal picture-book from American author Phyllis Alsdurf and Norwegian illustrator Jenny Løvlie is a pleasure to peruse. Told from the perspective of a young boy, the narrative follows

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the boy and his parents as they head to the farm, aid the boy's grandparents in preparing, and join the massive feast and celebration which follows...

Thanksgiving in the Woods is the first title I have read from either Alsdurf or Løvlie, although I see that they have worked on other picture-books, and I thank my friend Kathryn for bringing it to my attention. I loved the idea behind the book, and I found the narrative engaging and the artwork lovely (appropriately enough). My only disappointment was in the fact that the real-life story which inspired this fictional narrative wasn't explored more fully. The brief note at the front, with a photograph of people attending the real Thanksgiving in the Woods, didn't mention how Alsdurf discovered the custom, and what her relationship to it was. According to her author blurb, she grew up on a farm in Minnesota, so I found myself wondering how she came to know of this farm in rural New York. Leaving that aside, this is one I would recommend to picture-book readers looking for appealing Thanksgiving stories with a rural setting, and a featuring a more communal celebration.

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