The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving [Paperback]

Ann Mcgovern (Author), Elroy Freem (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

The Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving lasted three whole days. Ann McGovern's simple text introduces children to the struggles of the Pilgrims during their first year at Plymouth Colony and the events leading to the historic occasion we celebrate today.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ann McGovern, the author of more than 55 highly regarded books for children, is excited about the world: the world of history, nature, imagination, and the world of people. Her enthusiasm is the foundation for each word she writes. Her books, which range from fast-paced biographies and fact-filled fun histories to voyages in faraway lands, from playful picture books to retellings of well-known legends and fables, reflect her diverse and many interests.

A tireless traveler who has visited every continent, McGovern frequently incorporates her adventures into her books. Playing with Penguins and Swimming with Sea Lions were inspired by expeditions to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands, respectively. Desert Beneath the Sea resulted from a scientific scuba expedition to the Red Sea, the Caribbean, and the China Sea with Shark Lady Eugenie Clark. And, for Questions and Answers About Sharks, McGovern took notes on her underwater slate with twelve sharks just inches away, after she took part in an underwater shark feeding in Papua New Guinea, where she was scuba diving.

But when McGovern visits schools to show slides of her travels and discuss how they provide ideas for her books, she emphasizes that inspiration can come from feelings and close-to-home experiences as well as far-off adventures.

McGovern grew up in New York City where she lives today. Her interest in books and writing began at an early age. "As a child, I developed a terrible stutter and never raised my hand in class," she says, "I became a writer to express the feelings that I couldn't speak about and an avid reader as way to escape a sad life."

Her formal education ended after her first year at the University of New Mexico, where the only "A" she received was in horseback riding. But McGovern believes her most valuable education has come form her travel experiences and scuba diving expeditions, along with the intensive research she does for her books.

McGovern credits her late husband, Martin Scheiner, with introducing her to many of the experiences that have come to influence her writing. "With Marty, I stopped stuttering, I learned to drive, scuba dive, sail, take risks - maybe too many - when lions growled outside our tent in East Africa and the time a shark got too cozy with me in the Great Barrier Reef ," she says. "I plan to write about my journey to the North Pole, when the walrus poked its tusks into our rubber boat. I'll never run out of ideas - or memories!"

McGovern makes certain she visits schools and speaks to student as often as she can. "School children give me feedback that's wonderful for my work. Sometimes when I look at a sad, shy face in the audience, I see the lonely child I once was, and I hope that maybe my words can have some influence on a life. Making a difference in children's lives in why I plan to write until I am ninety."

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590461885
• ISBN-13: 978-0590461887
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #275,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Holidays & Festivals > Thanksgiving
  • #46 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Thanksgiving

More About the Author

Ann McGovern is the author of over 55 books for children and sales of her books exceed 30 million. She is the author of the classics STONE SOUP and TOO MUCH NOISE, as well as several IF YOU LIVED... books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Review of "The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving" by Ann McGovern, November 23, 2005

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

My children are 3 and 5 at this time (boy and girl) and I have been having a hard time finding a good age appropriate book about Thanksgiving.

When they were younger I used "The Story of Thanksgiving" boardbook by Nancy J. Skarmeas. A book that is pretty much on target for the toddler and early preschool crowd. But what to do now?

I looked at several books and none seemed to be appropriate. They were either too cynical, or too babyish. This book however pretty much fits the bill. The text talks in terms that preschoolers and kindergarteners understand. And it talks about hardship but isn't too graphic. An example of text follows.

The Mayflower was a big as two trucks.
But it was not big enough.
The Pilgrims and sailors crowded together to sleep.
They crowded together to eat.
The children had no room to run around.
They had no toys.
They had to leave most things behind.

These are details which my children could relate to.

Five Stars. We ran across the older version illustrated by Joe Lasker, and while the new artwork by Ekroy Freem looks really good (and is the one that's available now on Amazon) I wouldn't worry if you wanted to get the older version either.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thanksgiving Classic Updated With New Illustrations!, November 17, 2000

By 

Volkert Volkersz (Snohomish, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving (Paperback)

The previous edition of this book, published in 1973, has been a favorite introduction to the Pilgrims for primary students in our school for many years. Written at about a third grade reading level, it works as a readable chapter book, as well as a quick read-aloud. The black, white and turquoise drawings in the older version were adequate, but the text always deserved more detailed and interesting illustrations. While I have not see this new edition, it appears that this situation has now been remedied.

My students have always taken an interest in the kid's perspective of life aboard the Mayflower and during the first year at Plymouth. They love to know that the Pilgrims took two dogs and a cat with them. They wonder about the "same old salted beef and fish" that had to be eaten. They plug their noses when they think about the Pilgrims wearing "the same clothes every day," even sleeping in them.

They marvel at the straw roofs of the new homes being set on fire by sparks that flew up the chimney. They are stunned to learn that good manners meant children had to stand during meals, and that they could only speak when spoken to by an adult. Then my students smack their lips at the many foods that were eaten at the first Thanksgiving: wild turkeys, geese, ducks, deer, lobsters, clams, oysters and fish, not to mention the many vegetables, and of course, popcorn.

I look forward to adding the new edition of this classic to our library collection.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to a child's Thanksgiving, March 14, 2006

By 

DONALD G. FOX "Santee Sioux" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving (Paperback)

Like other reviewers, I also think that this is an appropriate book for children around the theme of Thanksgiving. The book looks at the lives of the children: their hardships, their work, their wonder.

Squanto shows up on page 29, seventeen pages after the Pilgrims disembark from the Mayflower onto an uninhabited land. Squanto eventually shows up and teaches the Pilgrims how to hunt for game, forage for edible and medicinal plants, and plant corn (31). He is a storyteller and is the center of the children's attention (32). Other "friendly Indians who lived nearby" show up at the end of the book to help the children find nuts and wild fruit (41). Of course, ninety Indians show up at the three-day feast of Thanksgiving: "There were more Indians than Pilgrims" (46).

This is a good book to begin looking at issues around the "mythological history" of the United States. What happened to Squanto and the tribes that the Pilgrims first encountered? Are Native Americans of today thankful for the same reasons that most white Americans are? This book could be the start of some real and wonderful discussion concerning our nations' histories and the real meaning of thanks.