The Thanksgiving Bowl [Hardcover]

Virginia Kroll (Author), Philomena O'Neill (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 14, 2007 | Age Level: 3 and up

When Grandma Grace's Thanksgiving bowl topples off the table and into the lives of others, it becomes a useful found object for all who encounter it. From one Thanksgiving to the next, the bowl makes its way upstream and downstream, through sandboxes and snowstorms, carrying goodwill and offering creative inspiration. By the time it makes its way back to Grandma Grace's backyard, it has been a vessel of gratitude for many creatures, echoing and fulfilling its original purpose-holding the annual "I Am Thankful For" lists of the family.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"This idyllic holiday story of happiness and connection begins with a celebration feast with Grandma Grace." -Booklist 2008 READING CORNER SELECTION OF THE DR. LAURA RADIO PROGRAM The Thanksgiving bowl is a favorite at Grandma Grace's table each Thanksgiving, as it is filled with "I Am Thankful For" lists from each member of the family. One Thanksgiving, after Grandma reads the lists, the bowl is forgotten at her picnic table, and it blows away. For the next twelve months, various creatures put the bowl to good use, then discard or forget it, and it travels on to another destination. Each time the bowl is found, its new owners seem to have a perfect use for it. Whether transformed into a toy, as when otters use it for a free ride down a hill, or a gift, as when a girl plants sunflowers in it for Mother's Day, the bowl seems destined to make everyone grateful for its sudden arrival. Miraculously, the bowl's yearlong journey of being continuously lost and found-stuck under bushes, buried in snowdrifts, tossed around in thunderstorms, even dropped from a recycling truck-comes full circle as it arrives back in Grandma Grace's yard just in time for Thanksgiving. [

About the Author

Virginia Kroll is a prolific writer, with over sixty books published since 1992. A full-time author and speaker as well as a writing instructor with the Institute of Children's Literature, she writes on topics ranging from African folktales to universal themes such as siblings and heroes. She has received a long list of awards, including the 1998 Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for a parenting book, the Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year in 2004, and the International Reading Association/Children's Book Council 2004 Children's Choice Award.

Philomena O'Neill has illustrated many books for children.  She is best known for her watercolor work and her ability to illustrate young children and animals with accuracy and gentle humor.  She has published with Random House, Simon & Shuster, Charlesbridge and Zonderkidz. This is her first book for Pelican.  She is a mother of four, a grandmother and lives in Seattle, WA.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (August 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589803655
• ISBN-13: 978-1589803657
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,064,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Story, Kids enjoyed it, March 19, 2009

By 

Richard Snouffer (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Thanksgiving Bowl (Hardcover)

I stumbled onto this book, and ordered it based on its description. I am glad I did.

I don't think I can describe its plot better than the ad blurb associated with it.

The kids like it, and it has a nice message. It will probably become part of the many stories and other Thanksgiving traditions.

It also provides a nice springboard for kids' imaginations about what may happen with items that inevitably get lost around a household containing children!

5.0 out of 5 stars A different kind of Thanksgiving story, October 5, 2009

By 

Christine M. Irvin (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Thanksgiving Bowl (Hardcover)

Grandma Grace had a Thanksgiving tradition. When you arrived at her house, you used the pad of paper and pencil on the hallway table to write down what you were thankful for and placed your paper in the "Thanksgiving Bowl." After all the food had been eaten, while everyone still sat at the table, Grandma read each note in turn and all in attendance at the meal tried to guess who might have written each note.

One particularly warm Thanksgiving day, dessert was served outside. After each note had been read, the weather turned cold and chilly, so everyone hurried inside, leaving the "Thanksgiving Bowl" outside. The wind picked it up and blew it across the street. The next day, when it was cold and snowy, the neighbor children used the bowl as a hat for their snowman. After the snowman melted, the hat blew away into a nearby field, where it became a temporary shelter for a mouse. It later served many purposes before finally "mysteriously" returning to Grandma Grace's house the next Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving Bowl, by Virginia Kroll, is a delightful story about a seemingly unimportant bowl that served its purpose, and more, throughout the year. Even though the family doesn't mention God in the things they are thankful for, it's clear that Thanksgiving day is special for them and they celebrate it as a family day of giving thanks for the things they appreciate.

The illustrations, by Philomena O'Neill, are delightful, as well, filling the pages with detailed watercolors of the people and things described in the story.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: The publisher suggests ages 9-12 as the recommended reading level, but I think younger children would also enjoy the story.

Christine M. Irvin - Christian Children's Book Review