Over the River: A Turkey's Tale [Hardcover]

Public Domain (Author), Derek Anderson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 2005 | Age Level: 4 and up

Over the river Mama, Papa, and Baby Turkey embark for their vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast. But when a hungry boy and his dog start sniffing around, the turkeys have got to think fast before they become the main course!

Acclaimed artist Derek Anderson's glorious autumn artwork adds heaps of holiday humor to Lydia Maria Child's classic Thanksgiving song. And readers of all ages will be wondering who gobbles up whom until the dessert finale.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A top-hatted father turkey, his bonnet-wearing wife and their bespectacled chick, clutching a pilgrim doll, set out for Grandmother's house in Anderson's (Little Quack) rendition of Child's song. The feathered family meets a horse who literally "carr[ies] the sleigh" up a snowy hill while they stick to the road and encounter a predatory dog. The expressions on the fleeing fowls are priceless, as are other comical touches, but the hound's change of heart seems sudden, so that the final scene of turkeys, hound and horse sharing a bounteous meal, sounds a false note. All ages. (Oct.)
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From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3–Anderson's amusing acrylic artwork provides a new twist on a favorite holiday song. The book contains the familiar lyrics, but the illustrations show that in this version, it's a turkey family on the way to Grandma's house. As a young bird carrying a Pilgrim doll and his parents walk through the snowy woods, they meet a horse that knows the way/to carry the sleigh and does so–literally, trotting up a hill with a sled tucked under one arm. Meanwhile, a young hunter and a barely ferocious-looking hound are going over their plan to catch a gobbler for dinner. They give chase as the birds come into view, but an odd scarecrow (the turkeys in disguise) temporarily stops the pursuers in their tracks. Then the horse screeches downhill on the sled right into the middle of everything, and the pie is ruined. But, this is Thanksgiving, after all, and everyone sits down for a nice meal–except for the boy, who is still outside hunting down his hunting hound. This is a fun, humorous addition to Thanksgiving collections. Children will enjoy looking at the entertaining illustrations and comparing the chaos pictured there to the words of the old song. The lyrics and music are included on the endpapers.–Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689876351
• ISBN-13: 978-0689876356
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #382,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Thanksgiving

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny remake., September 21, 2009

By 

A. Thomas (Wyoming) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Over the River: A Turkey's Tale (Classic Board Book) (Board book)

This is a cute remake of the Over the River and through the woods story. I don't know that my kids get the humor as they are not familiar with the original but the drawings make me laugh every time.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Delightful to Have Derek Anderson illustrate a Thanksgiving Book!, November 18, 2005

By 

charles smith-dewey "Author/Illustrator Uncle... (Lakeville, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Over the River: A Turkey's Tale (Hardcover)

Derek Anderson is one of my favorite book illustrators, and how wonderful it is to see him illustrate this well-loved verse in a Thanksgiving book. I was lucky enough to see the illustrations months ago when Anderson did a signing at the Red Balloon in St. Paul, the Twin Cities leading children's bookstore. Anderson's whimsy brings the perfect touch to this tale. I also love a book about a Gorilla that he both wrote and illustrated, "Gladys Goes to Lunch" -- that's the one I was introduced to at the Red Balloon, where I bought multiple copies for kids on my gift list. A rare talent.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great holiday book, January 13, 2012

By 

amarrano - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Over the River: A Turkey's Tale (Hardcover)

This is one of our favorite Thanksgiving books. My daughter loves being able to sing along with the words in the book. Great illustrations too!