Don't Know Much About the Pilgrims [Hardcover]

Kenneth C. Davis (Author), S. D. Schindler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Series: Don't Know Much About

• How much fun was life aboard the Mayflower?
• Did Pilgrims dance with Indians to Plymouth Rock?
• If there was no football to watch on TV, what did people do during the first Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving today is a time for families to say grace and gobble turkey. But why did the Pilgrims start this tradition? And who were these people anyway?

Now you can discover a wealth of cool and astonishing facts about the Pilgrims. Did you know that they made the long ocean journey in a cramped boat, or that the friendly Indians helped the Pilgrims survive that first winter? Would you have liked being a child in Plymouth? You wouldn't have gone to school, but just read about the chores you would have done!

Kenneth C. Davis delivers another outstanding picture book in the Don't Know Much About series. With his trademark question-and-answer format and S. D. Schindler's detailed artwork, you'll get an insider's view of the Pilgrims' life. It wasn't easy, but they helped make America what it is today. Now that is something to give thanks for!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Handsomely packaged and laced with more than a dash of irreverent cheek, this title will entice browsers who will probably learn a little along the way. Davis organizes the haphazard collection of factoids chronologically and covers the same material found in any of a number of other books on the period. Sidebars on nearly every page highlight related material, while colorful cartoon illustrations add visual appeal. Cutaway drawings show the interior of a typical Pilgrim house and of the Mayflower. Unfortunately, the simplification and the somewhat frivolous tone create some problems. The Puritans' disagreement with the Church of England dealt with issues far more serious than "fancy ceremonies and decorations." Stating that the king "said the Pilgrims had to shape up or ship out" is also misleading in that Separatist leaders were routinely imprisoned, not exiled. The brief paragraphs dealing with their time in Holland imply that they were unhappy there largely because "they had to work harder than they had worked in England." Paul Erickson's Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636 (Clarion, 2001) is a more informative source for reports. Connie and Peter Roop's Pilgrim Voices (Walker, 1997) is another good choice. Ann McGovern's -If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 (Scholastic, 1991) takes a lighthearted approach to the Pilgrims but presents the facts more precisely, and has a great cutaway diagram of the Mayflower that gives a real sense of just how crowded things were during the voyage. Davis's casual looks at history are popular, but librarians will want to consider how many of them their budgets can bear.
Elaine Fort Weischedel, Franklin Public Library, MA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. From the Don't Know Much About series, this colorfully illustrated volume takes a refreshingly candid look at the pilgrims. Forgoing the usual solemn tone, reverence for forefathers, and claims about the "first Thanksgiving," Davis breathes life into the subject with an evenhanded approach to both the Indians and the newcomers and through his attention to details that will interest children. The question-and-answer format follows a logical arrangement and sets up a conversational voice that sounds informal, yet is informative. Throughout the book, Schindler's precise and lively ink drawings, brightened with color washes, put a very human (and often amusing) face on the past. One of the series' best. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060286091
• ISBN-13: 978-0060286095
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,225,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ken Davis is the author of Don't Know Much About History, which spent 35 consecutive weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, and gave rise to the Don't Know Much About series, which has a combined in-print total of 4.3-million copies.Ken Davis has been dubbed The King of Knowing by Amazon.com because he becomes a subject expert in all of the areas he writes about; the Bible, Mythology, the Universe, the Civil War, for example. Ken has also been a Wise Man; on Who Wants to be a SuperMillionaire and a Life Line on the regular edition of the show. Ken Davis's success aptly makes the case that Americans don't hate history, just the dull version they slept through in class. But many of them want to know now because their kids are asking them questions they can't answer. Davis's approach is to refresh us on the subjects we should have learned in school. He does it by busting myths, setting the record straight and always remembering that fun is not a four-word letter word. A somewhat well-kept secret: Ken Davis never graduated from college, but he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Concordia College in Bronxville, where he was also asked to give a commencement address. Ken Davis is a frequent media guest. He has appeared on hundreds of television and radio shows, including NPR, The Today Show, Fox and Friends, CNN, and The Discovery Channel. He has been a commentator for All Things Considered, and has written for the New York Times. In addition to his adult titles, he writes the Don't Know Much About Children's series published by HarperCollins. He lives in New York with his wife. They have two grown children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Know Much--Pilgrims, January 9, 2007

By 

Michelle M. McDonald "Celtic Mom" (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Know Much About the Pilgrims (Paperback)

This is a great book full of interesting facts and presented in an interesting way. It was very engaging for the whole family. I read some of it on the way to Thanksgiving dinner and no one wanted to stop reading when we had to take a break! We liked this so much we bought more Don't Know Much books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars NO WAY!, November 10, 2011

By 

TeacherK - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Know Much About the Pilgrims (Paperback)

I found this book to oversimplify the story of the pilgrims, ask dumb and ridiculous questions, and to have a sarcastic voice that most children would be confused by. As a teacher I would never use this book in my classroom, it would only perpetuate stereotypes and confuse my students. I wouldn't recommend this book for any grade level, there are much better books about the pilgrims than this.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, November 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Don't Know Much About the Pilgrims (Hardcover)

This is a great informational book about the Pilgrims. Recommended for older children and teachers preparing their lessons.