Review by Booklist Review
Forget a history lesson. Food is the focus in this wry take on Thanksgiving. In light verse and bright, silly cartoon illustrations, a boy with P.I.G. on his shirt introduces his rules for the holiday. He cannot wait for the main event to begin, the buffet, but first he has to volunteer to clean and help with preparations, and he has to greet all the relatives with their outstretched arms. All he thinks about, though, is eating, and at last, he fills his plate, which can hold a lot of weight, the second time around, too. The rhymes are forced at times, but kids will appreciate the silly instructions for enjoying the day, as well as the irreverent puns and mixed-media pictures, which continue right up until the final scene of the adult relatives, stuffed, dozing, and not at all eager for Percy's special hugs.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
An ebullient young host named Percy assures readers that he's a "Thanksgiving Pro," and that "when it comes to turkey day,/ there's nothing I don't know." His "simple rules" include putting on whatever your mom wants you to wear (Rule #1: "Smile and say Pumpkin Pie") and giving brief, polite greetings ("Rule (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-In this story told in rhyme, Percy Isaac Gifford, clad in his P.I.G. sweater, presents readers with a workshop on how to get the most out of Thanksgiving, complete with 10 simple rules. ("Rule 1: Smile and say pumpkin pie.") He offers advice on everything from getting through preparations and greetings to how to load up the perfect plate. Exaggerated cartoon art gets increasingly busy as it builds toward the climactic spread featuring the entire Thanksgiving buffet and then slowly tapers back down again as the post-feast stupor hits many of the guests. Sometimes the inconsistent rhythm of the text makes reading aloud awkward. A silly ode to the holiday for larger collections.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Young Percy Isaac Gifford (whose monogrammed sweater reads, aptly, "P.I.G.") delivers a rhymed set of instructions to less-expert celebrants of the holiday. Keeping the goal clearly in mind helps to get through the less-enjoyable aspects of a family gathering, such as good clothes, helping out and greeting guests. With the able assistance of his dog, Percy gets to "The Main Event"which is rendered with loving detail, elaborated in Rule #6 ("Don't be afraid to eat everything"). Murfin's mixed-media illustrations pile on the busyness as the feast gets underway and Percy loads up his plate; the bulging bellies sported by all at the end make the need for Percy's "Overeaters' Special" (a quick buss instead of a hug) amply evident. If the scansion sometimes labors, it's still an unabashedly joyous celebration of seasonal gluttony. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
