Thanksgiving Day Alphabet

by Beverly Vidrine

Overview

Pumpkins, pilgrims, and Indians punctuate this quintessential American holiday ABC picture book. With an eye on history and adventure, this ABC book cheerfully illuminates the classic American holiday. Each entry includes a few sentences explaining the word's significance in Thanksgiving's history. Children will relate to their own holiday traditions while learning the origins of the annual fall event.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781589803381
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	08/31/2006
Series:	ABC Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.31(d)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Beverly Vidrine considers music her personal muse. The attachment came in the fourth grade, when she received instruction on an old upright piano twice weekly after school. Today, she plays her antique baby grand for thirty minutes before letting another muse take over. While she writes, classical music plays in the background for relaxation and inspiration. Motivation is never far off. Her eight grandchildren are all illustrated in her books and are among her most cherished critics. She enjoys working with illustrators who read her manuscript and then decide how to illustrate them without her comments. Once the sketches are done, she reviews them and collaborates when necessary. A Louisiana native, Vidrine wrote A Mardi Gras Dictionary, a book that introduces children to the unique language of New Orleans' Carnival season. This success was followed by A Christmas Dictionary, which covers both the secular and religious aspects of the holiday season. In addition to her two dictionary books, Vidrine has written four holiday books centered around the alphabet. St. Patrick's Day Alphabet explains twenty-six Irish traditions, while Easter Day Alphabet teaches the ABCs of Easter, complete with a golden egg hidden on every page. Halloween Alphabet celebrates the traditions of the year's spookiest holiday, and Thanksgiving Day Alphabet illuminates the classic American holiday with an eye on history and adventure. A graduate of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Vidrine earned her bachelor of arts degree in elementary education and has had hands-on experience teaching in elementary schools. She is a member of the Society of Childrenís Book Writers and Illustrators as well as the Writers' Guild of Acadiana. She resides in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Editorial Reviews

America, games, harvest, feast, king of England, Indians, Lincoln, orange pumpkins, Pilgrims, November-all are among the eclectic choices for this ho-hum alphabetical look at the Thanksgiving Day of the past. The information is not new, but since the focus is on the past with nothing of the modern celebration, the early primary child will find little here that will bridge the gap to their own experience. The choice of organization means the text is composed of random snippets, with little transition or connection to the next item, except for the arbitrary connection to the letter of the alphabet. The information given is too much for an alphabet book, yet too little for research. While the illustrations are lovely, they are not enough to raise this title above the marginal purchase. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews