Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
On the title page of this journey in couplets, a lanky-limbed rabbit and frog approach a house in a sun-drenched, fancifully colored landscape. "We give thanks for mittens/ and for coats and boots and hats," Rylant's gentle verse begins, as the rabbit and frog speculatively don clothing before a mirror. "We give thanks for nice warm soup/ and fires to warm our toeses," a later spread continues. Fine-lined pen-and-ink art show a rat-manned bonfire and a great soup cauldron set outside, awash in watercolor hues. The concluding feast assembles all of the anthropomorphic animals the duo has visited in a tiled kitchen as they sit down to a tableful of elaborate desserts. Even simple generosity is conceived of in droll, unexpected ways as a bear slips a cookie under the table to a fish in a bowl in Ruzzier's fresh-eyed interpretation of Rylant's simple, holiday-ready blessing. Ages 2--8. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--One fine day, two friends--a rabbit and a frog--set out to explore their small town, interacting with a host of animal companions along the way. Each step of their journey gives them something more to be thankful for, including their mittens and scarves, the rain and snow, their family members, and the food on their table. Finally, the unnamed protagonists lay out a vast spread so that everyone they have met can enjoy a meal together, and the resulting joy is palpable. This story is accessible to even the youngest of readers, thanks to its brief lines of text and approachable illustrations. Rylant's gentle, welcoming rhyming couplets each straddle two pages, resulting in a dynamic flow, building and releasing tension with each line. Complementary rhythmic structures enhance the text and make the narrative a joy to read aloud and hear. Detailed watercolors support the text while including additional information for readers who choose to look closer. Interesting tidbits are interspersed among the visuals, prompting conversations about the text. Creamsicle hues give the story a whimsical quality. Young children who enjoy cheerful books filled with warmth will love reading this one, especially as they consider what they are thankful for. VERDICT A delightful approach to the Thanksgiving holiday that encourages acts of kindness all year round.--Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.
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Review by Horn Book Review
In expertly scanned and rhymed verse, Rylant offers up many of the things we can be grateful for: "We give thanks for apple trees / and bushes filled with roses. / We give thanks for nice warm soup / and fires to warm our toeses." The text gains by its specificity ("The mailman, the grocer, and the nice Italian waiter") and is augmented by Ruzzier's gently comic pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations of a kingdom of animal friends, a world in which a bear can lovingly cradle a smiling fish. With the verses easy to remember and fun to say out loud, this could become a favorite (and non-sectarian) Thanksgiving (or anytime) tradition. Roger Sutton November/December 2021 p.26(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A gentle reminder to give thanks for all that you have. One day, a rabbit and a frog ramble around their rural community with two purposes in mind. First, they share their thanks for their world filled with comfort, friends, food, family, nature, and affection. "We give thanks for cousins / and for fathers and for mothers. / We give thanks for grandpas / and for sisters and for brothers." One couplet bobbles the scansion but is charming nevertheless. Another, scent-filled verse hints at "noses" and creatively rhymes "roses" with "toeses." And as they make their way, the rabbit and the frog also seem to issue invitations to everyone in the community, resulting in a friend-filled feast and their final message of inclusion: "Bless our nights and bless our days / and bless all those we meet. // We give thanks for everything, / and now… // it's time to EAT!" In places, illustrations with pops of neon blue, pink, green, and purple against a generally pastel palette play whimsically with the gentle text. However, the bright green frog in a fluorescent pink, feathered hat is giggleworthy, as is his creative yellow portrait of a brown dog and the studio cat dripping with yellow paint in a picture where literal readers may expect the yellow dog and yellow cat of the verse. Young readers will also appreciate snow-capped mountains in neon blue and shocking pink and the creative, but perhaps out of control, vehicles. (This book was reviewed digitally.) This cozy duo shows why every day should be Thanksgiving. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
