P Is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet (Sleeping Bear Alphabets) [Paperback]

Carol Crane (Author), Helle Urban (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2011 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Sleeping Bear Alphabets

" Across the Atlantic Ocean, a lone ship on a vast sea. Ablaze with new hope, all praying to be free. " From the lives of our early settlers, who established the foundations for American freedoms and ideals, to today`s celebrations, " P is for Pilgrim" colorfully examines the history and lore of Thanksgiving. Educators will find the inclusion of the Core Democratic Values of valuable use for the classroom while kids of all ages will enjoy the bright, engaging illustrations and fascinating sidebar text. " Zippy bands zigzagging down the street, zebras trotting, zeppelin-like balloons afloat. Flags flying, banners waving, a Thanksgiving Day Parade playing a happy note. "

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-This alphabet book pairs each letter with a short poem and a sidebar that provides further information about the ideas presented in the verses. Unfortunately, along with the Thanksgiving theme, Crane tries to incorporate American democratic ideals into the text, resulting in poetry that is often contrived and sentimental. For the letter "I" she writes, "With Individual rights,/the Pilgrims' inspiration and intent/was to insure all people/what religious freedom meant." This is not only an awkward rhyme, but it is also incorrect. Pilgrims were generally intolerant of other religions. The entry for "L" projects Revolutionary War sentiments back onto the Pilgrims, "Land, land ho! At last, America!/Our dreams have come true./Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!/Oh Lord, we thank you!" In the sidebar on the "J" page, the author states that "many" guests leave Thanksgiving meals with "jars of jam or jelly cooked and canned during harvest season," yet the next sentence reads, "Canning and preserving is almost a lost art-." Some of the themes for the letters have little to do with Thanksgiving, e.g., "B" is for the "Bill of Rights." The best part of this book is the colorful artwork. The paintings are done in warm tones and portray an idealistic view of Colonial America.
Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Carol Crane has written 14 books for Sleeping Bear Press, including the best-selling P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet. As a children's literature advocate, Carol travels across the country, speaking at schools and many conferences. She makes her home in North Carolina.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press (October 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585363537
• ISBN-13: 978-1585363537
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 11 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #510,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Holidays & Festivals > Thanksgiving
  • #89 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Thanksgiving

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Alphabet Book!, January 16, 2005

By 

Lynn Ellingwood "The ESOL Teacher" (Webster, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet (Hardcover)

I love this alphabet series and since it rarely is found in paperbook form, I was lucky to purchase it post-holiday. The text is very engaging and the the facts are great for older students.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great history of Thanksgiving, Pilgrims and Native Americans for your little one, January 12, 2008

By 

William Fleck "Rod Fleck" (Forks, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: P Is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet (Sleeping Bear Alphabets) (Paperback)

This is a great book for your little ones. Covers things in a general way with each letter and then in a column on each page is more detail. So, its a great book for multiple ages. This series is probably one you should consider having in your school - I purchase the books associated with my kids family history and then we can read and talk about the state/subject while adding a few family history lessons into the mix. Illustrations are great and the kids really enjoy them.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for adults and children, January 11, 2007

By 

Michelle Hudsonhonda "Michelle" (Norcross, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet (Hardcover)

This book had so many interesting facts about Thanksgiving and the illustrations are great. The adults and children in my family loved this book and because of the rhyming portion even very young children will love this book and get something out of it. There are alphabet books for almost any subject and for every state in the US and I have never been disappointed with any of them.