Sunday, September 28, 2014

Thanksgiving for Emily Ann by Teresa Johnston -- OPTIONAL

Johnston, Teresa Thanksgiving for Emily Ann, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. PICTURE BOOK. Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, 2014. $6.99. Content: G.

Emily Ann is not having a very good Thanksgiving. Her brother is mean, her sister is boring, and she has to share her bedroom with her grandpa. (He snores.) To top it off, everyone's too busy to play with her. Annoyed, Emily Ann decides to teach her family a lesson by hiding the turkey, but her mom catches her and thinks she's helping. Suddenly Emily Ann looks around and realizes that Thanksgiving is a special holiday because it has brought her entire, wonderful family together, and that is something to celebrate.

I love the beginning of the book, as the text flows smoothly and Emily Ann is a sympathetic character. But as the story progresses, the rhythm loses its place several times, and Emily Ann's change of heart feels sudden and unjustified, making the ending feel overly sentimental.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Caryn

No comments: