Bountiful harvest of children's holiday books

It's not too hard to teach children about thankfulness when parents dangle a reward in front of them. The instructions are easy enough for even a 2-year-old to understand: When you want something say "please," when you get it say "thank you."

It might be more difficult, however, to teach children about the first Thanksgiving, an event that happened centuries ago to people these kids never knew.

"Why should we care?" children may ask.

Because it's a good story with a better lesson, that's why.

There's drama and interesting characters, and by the end of the tale the children will learn that working together offers great rewards -- rewards that might include turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie.

There are several new picture books about Thanksgiving, the parades that lead up to it and the feast that follows to help tell the story of the holiday in words and pictures that youngsters will understand.

A good place to start is "The Very First Thanksgiving Day" (Atheneum, $15.95, ages 3-6), featuring a cumulative rhyme text by Rhonda Gowler Greene and painting-style illustrations by Susan Gaber.

The book certainly isn't wordy but it covers all the basics about why the Pilgrims and the American Indians sat down together for a meal back in 1621. It explains the hardships of the Pilgrims and how they overcame them with hard work, and it gives credit to the Indians as skillful and strong teachers to the Pilgrims.

The last few pages might even ring familiar with 21st-century families.

The grown-ups greet each other with handshakes while the kids run off to play with their toys. Surely they'll regroup to sit at a very long table that's decorated with corn, sweet berries and turkey.

Sharing stories

In "Thanksgiving Day" (HarperCollins, $5.99, ages 2-5) by Anne Rockwell, a father tells his children about the holiday play he put on when he was a kid.

He recalls his role as the Mayflower, the ship that brought the Pilgrims to the New World. His friends, children of all races outfitted in feathered Indian headdresses and construction-paper Pilgrim hats in illustrations by Lizzie Rockwell, filled out the rest of the cast.

The Pilgrims from England built wood houses and the Wampanoag Indians planted corn. Together, they hunted turkeys for that memorable harvest feast.

The whole animal kingdom cooks the Thanksgiving meal in "Turkeys Never Gobble!" (HarperFestival, $5.99, ages baby-preschool). In Jennifer Beck Harris' cartoonish pictures, young readers will see alligators sharing their recipes with helpful hippos, and monkeys measuring, mixing and chopping the ingredients for their favorite treats.

But at the table even the well-mannered warthogs become wild beasts as one devilish critter calls out "food fight!"

Leftovers are the big treat in "'Twas the Day After Thanksgiving" (Little Simon, $5.99, ages 3-6) by Mavis Smith.

As young readers lift the flaps, they'll catch glimpses of a family of mice who eventually grow tired of turkey and its trimming. Sound familiar?