Over the River: A Turkey's Tale by Public Domain, Derek Anderson (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Over the river Mama, Papa, and Baby Turkey embark for their vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast. But when a hungry boy and his dog start sniffing around, the turkeys have got to think fast before they become the main course!

Acclaimed artist Derek Anderson's glorious autumn artwork adds heaps of holiday humor to Lydia Maria Child's classic Thanksgiving song. And readers of all ages will be wondering who gobbles up whom until the dessert finale.

Publishers Weekly

A top-hatted father turkey, his bonnet-wearing wife and their bespectacled chick, clutching a pilgrim doll, set out for Grandmother's house in Anderson's (Little Quack) rendition of Child's song. The feathered family meets a horse who literally "carr[ies] the sleigh" up a snowy hill while they stick to the road and encounter a predatory dog. The expressions on the fleeing fowls are priceless, as are other comical touches, but the hound's change of heart seems sudden, so that the final scene of turkeys, hound and horse sharing a bounteous meal, sounds a false note. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Beverley Fahey - Children's Literature

The popular holiday song is given a unique twist in this humorous rendition. An engaging turkey family sets off "over the river and through the woods" to dine at grandmother's. Baby Turkey gambols off at an eager pace followed closely behind by a wary Mama and Papa. And they should worry because lurking in the woods is a boy and his dog looking to bag a tasty treat. Over hill and dale, the chase is on for hunter and hunted and it is up to the turkeys to come up with a clever plan to outwit their pursuers. Bold illustrations capture all of the mayhem with the wide-eyed turkeys getting all the attention. With the boy madly chasing the turkeys, armed with only a stick, readers will be cheering for the turkeys all the way. Of course, all ends well with everyone settling down for a delectable vegetarian feast. This is not a first purchase but with so few story- time selections for this holiday, it is a refreshing addition. Music and lyrics for the song are included. 2005, Simon & Schuster, Ages 4 to 7.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-Anderson's amusing acrylic artwork provides a new twist on a favorite holiday song. The book contains the familiar lyrics, but the illustrations show that in this version, it's a turkey family on the way to Grandma's house. As a young bird carrying a Pilgrim doll and his parents walk through the snowy woods, they meet a horse that "knows the way/to carry the sleigh" and does so-literally, trotting up a hill with a sled tucked under one arm. Meanwhile, a young hunter and a barely ferocious-looking hound are going over their plan to catch a gobbler for dinner. They give chase as the birds come into view, but an odd scarecrow (the turkeys in disguise) temporarily stops the pursuers in their tracks. Then the horse screeches downhill on the sled right into the middle of everything, and the pie is ruined. But, this is Thanksgiving, after all, and everyone sits down for a nice meal-except for the boy, who is still outside hunting down his hunting hound. This is a fun, humorous addition to Thanksgiving collections. Children will enjoy looking at the entertaining illustrations and comparing the chaos pictured there to the words of the old song. The lyrics and music are included on the endpapers.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Anderson keeps most of the classic Thanksgiving song's lyrics, but puts a decided twist on its customary scenario. Here, a family of turkeys in 19th-century dress (the little one clutching a Pilgrim doll) set out for Grandma's-only to run into a turkey-hunting lad and dog. A wild chase ensues, culminating in a face-off that ends with the precipitate arrival of the horse on the sleigh-actually a sled, but why be picky. Picking themselves up, the chastened animals all repair to Grandma's for a Thanksgiving feast of the vegetarian sort. The boy is left out in the woods, which seems mean-spirited, but young readers will be so captivated by the fracas in Anderson's big, exuberant cartoons, they might not even notice. Musical arrangement, with full lyrics, on the endpapers. (Picture book. 6-8)

Product Details