Giving Thanks [Hardcover]

Jonathan London (Author), Gregory Manchess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2003 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A father passes on to his son the gift of seeing the beauty around him - and giving thanks.

Thank you, Mother Earth.
Thank you, Father Sky.
Thank you for this day.

How can a young boy ever show his gratitude for all the beauty he sees? He will learn from his father, who thanks the earth and the sky, the frogs and the crickets, the hawk and the deer, even the trees that wave their arms in the breeze. Majestic as the most beautiful autumn day and filled with glimpses of favorite woodland animals, GIVING THANKS is truly a gift to readers from nature-lover Jonathan London and master painter Gregory Manchess.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-A simple prayer of appreciation for being alive and at one with nature. As a father and son take a hike through the countryside on a sunny fall day, the young narrator explains, "Dad believes that the things of nature are a gift. And that in return, we must give something back. We must give thanks." The man expresses his gratitude for various animals, insects, and trees, as well as for Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon. Though the youngster claims it feels strange to offer praise in this way, his father explains that it soon becomes a habit "that makes you feel good." As evening moves in and the two head home, the boy ventures a quiet "Thank you, stars." Large, colorful, oil-on-linen illustrations beautifully depict the various objects described in the text. Among the animals skillfully represented are a raccoon, a fox, a hawk, and a deer. Warm shades of green, brown, and gold grace the realistic paintings of an autumn landscape. Similar in tone to Chief Jake Swamp's Giving Thanks (Lee & Low, 1995), this is a gentle reminder to cherish what nature bestows so freely.
Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. A young boy tells of walking through the fields and woods with his father, who believes that the gifts of nature call for a response. As they hike, the father says "Thank you" to the frogs, the fox, the mushrooms, the quail, the sun, and the other beautiful things they see. The boy muses that "it's a little embarrassing to say thanks to trees and things," but by the end of the day he finds himself saying "Thank you" to the stars. The admission of self-consciousness lends credibility to the boy's voice and point of view, and Manchess' illustrations are quite handsome--impressionistic oil paintings with light, shadows, and colors changing throughout the daylong walk. A book that fosters respect for the natural world through a relatively simple text and illustrations that express the beauty and dignity of nature. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1st edition (October 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076361680X
• ISBN-13: 978-0763616809
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,330,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, January 4, 2008

By 

Angie (Beavercreek, Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Giving Thanks (Paperback)

This book is terrific! The illustrations are awesome!
It actually gave us the idea for a new fmaily tradition for Thanksgiving -hiking with our kids - giving thanks to nature and everything around us. :-)

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book about being thankful for nature, November 16, 2007

By 

Andrea J. Phillips - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Giving Thanks (Hardcover)

The book teaches children to be thankful to animals, and inanimate objects of nature.

True. And it's lovely. The illustrations are beautiful. A father and son take a walk through the woods near their house, and the father teaches his son to be thankful for all the things in nature that they see.

At the end, the son even says, "To me, it's a little embarrassing to say thanks to trees and things. But Dad says it becomes a habit; it just makes you feel good."

Each page is richly illustrated, with lush paintings, and just a few words per page, allowing the child (and parent) to enjoy the illustrations and message.

A beautiful book with a beautiful lesson.

7 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Pagan Book, November 11, 2007

By 

Carol "Carol" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Giving Thanks (Hardcover)

This is not a book about being thankful for nature. It is about being thankful TO nature. The book teaches children to be thankful to animals, and inanimate objects of nature - not God. It would be helpful to the consumer if this book was labeled somewhere as a book of Paganism as this is not clear from the cover.