Setting the Turkeys Free
PreSchool-Grade 1–A dark-skinned youngster paints handprint turkeys, decorating them with sequins, feathers, glitter, and paper scraps. After he collects them in a Popsicle-stick pen, a cartoon fox threatens the flock, which is saved when the artist turns a fist covered with purple paint into a stumbling block, allowing the birds to flee. When it is safe, they are lured back home through the child's creativity with corn kernels. Wilson-Max's artistic modeling on these spreads will inspire future turkey makers to explore new media. Nikola-Lisa keeps sentences simple and enthused so that the story's appeal will not be limited to Thanksgiving's traditional art sessions. More mature listeners will notice the amusing connection between the artist's real-life dog and the naughty fox.–Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.