We Gather Together [Hardcover]

Wendy Pfeffer (Author), Linda Bleck (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

The fall equinox signals the time of year when we gather our harvests and give thanks for their bounty. With accessible, lyrical prose and vibrant illustrations, this nonfiction picture book explains the science behind autumn and the social history of harvest-time celebrations. We Gather Together presents a remarkable range of cultural traditions throughout the ages and the world, many of which have influenced our contemporary Thanksgiving holiday. Simple science activities, ideas for celebrating in school and at home, and a further reading list are included in the back of the book.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4–In this companion to The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice (Dutton, 2003), Pfeffer covers a great deal of territory. She describes the changes in the weather and the ways in which people and animals prepare for the coming winter. She provides specific information as to why seasons change and describes the way the harvest has been celebrated by different cultures throughout history. Back matter includes equinox facts, a recipe for Equinox corn muffins, and a craft activity. Although a substantial amount of information is presented, Pfeffer's lively writing style will keep readers engaged. Bleck's vibrantly hued illustrations, reminiscent of the work of Leonard Weisgard, are carefully interwoven with the text and enhance the book. A useful and attractive addition for most collections.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In a companion to Pfeffer's The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice (2003), this picture book begins with a description of what some animals and humans do during the autumn season to prepare for winter. There's information on the autumnal equinox, a history of harvesting in various cultures, a look at harvesting celebrations in several cultures, and more. The text is short, clear, and to the point, and the full-page illustrations, which have a 1950s retro look, are very child friendly. Inviting pictures of animals and people from past and current times and cultures will draw readers into the text. The book concludes with two simple experiments along with activities and information to encourage children to learn more about the equinox and harvest festivities. Randall Enos
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; First edition. edition (August 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525476695
• ISBN-13: 978-0525476696
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Wendy Pfeffer has written several other books for children,including From Tadpole to Frog and What's It Like to Be a Fish? both illustrated by Holly Keller. Ms. Pfeffer lives in Pennington, NJ. Holly Keller has illustrated Let's Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans and You're Aboard Spaceship Earth by Patricia Lauber, as well as her own books starring Horace and Geraldine. Ms. Keller lives in West Redding, CT.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately inaccurate, July 19, 2010

By 

Nimai C. Malle - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Gather Together (Hardcover)

Am I just being a stick-in-the-mud by being put off by the section in this book on Japan? I know the author writes a lot of books for children, but she herself need not be so juvenile as to confuse Japan and China. The illustrations and descriptions of "Japanese" celebrations were an inconsiderate mishmash of Japanese and Chinese cliches. It threw the whole book into doubt.
Does this really matter? For all I knew, I was reading Americanized cliches of every other culture touched upon in this book. This happens in all sorts of entertainment. I'm sure medical doctors roll their eyes at tv hospital dramas, and software engineers cringe at plots revolving around "technology". But in the case of a childrens book, wouldn't real cultural traditions have been just as good?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different views of a diverse text-tale, December 1, 2010

By 

Waconda - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: We Gather Together (Hardcover)

A kids' text, no matter how nice and photogenic, has a a linear feel to it.
The first impression I had after several readings of this book was that it
flowed from the storybook like descriptions of the festivals, but did not
halt suddenly for the science explanations. I think to gather kids who like
one but not the other (storybooks or science) this is a good crossover book.

As a reader I liked the nostalgic illustrations. As a person who teaches and
tutors second language learners, I liked the compreshensible text with vocabulary not too difficult and not overly simplified for the ESL,ELL and
EFL 'world'. I especially liked the easy to understand instructions for
experiments and the recipe.

Homeschoolers and tutors should find the in-book lesson plan ideas and
festival follow ups very clear and inviting to use the book as a teaching
tool.

As a long time resident of Japan, I had an instant memory clip of the
fascination I had for moon viewing. The very early royals built moon
viewing rooms in their palaces and even today their are moon viewing
excursions for the sentimal. In that ever festivaling country, the
lantern and moonviewing celebrations are of the most evocative.

For children rasised in the city, this is a good introduction to how food
is harvested and celebrated around the world.

For parents interested in interesting ways to present diversity, it is
deligtful. I would recommend it without hesitation.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars we gather together, wendy pfeffer, May 9, 2009

By 

N. Austin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: We Gather Together (Hardcover)

again, i love the wendy pfeffer books and have learned things from them myself. the info is kid friendly, and the illustrations are great. i recommend them to anyone interested in learning about the seasons, the origins of celebrations that follow them, and general info on the solstices/equinoxes.