Over the River: A Turkey's Tale (Hardcover)

by Public Domain (Author), Derek Anderson (Illustrator) "Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go..." (more)

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 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689876351
• ISBN-13: 978-0689876356
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #624,383 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 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)

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.