“Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation” by Diane Stanley, illustrated by Holly Berry.
Joanna Cotler Books, 2004, 48 pages, Grades 2-4.
It is only natural to thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. In the Northern Hemisphere, crops are harvested in the fall. This leads most societies to have some type of harvest celebration. During these festivities, delicious food is shared and families join together to thank God for the blessings of the year.
The current Thanksgiving holiday that Americans enjoy results from these historical events. We trace the foundation of this happy event to the first harvest celebration in Massachusetts between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. Neither group believed they were starting the current Thanksgiving holiday. Rather, it was an annual event after the harvest to offer thanksgiving and to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Diane Stanley writes an imaginative account of this day in her science fiction book “Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation.” It is fun to read and filled with interesting historical facts.
Parents of twins Liz and Lenny take them to their grandmother’s house. The parents leave to buy some apple cider at a nearby orchard. The grandmother is not an ordinary woman. She can take the children on time travel when wearing her magical hat. The twins beg her to take them on an adventure and they ask to go to Plymouth Plantation in 1621 Massachusetts. Grandmother puts on her magic hat, takes hold of the children’s hands and soon they soar in time travel to the Pilgrim colony.
The children quickly learn that life is very different from the one they know. They are quickly put to work. Lenny joins the boys and begins hauling water and other hard physical tasks. Liz works with the women preparing food and other domestic chores. The children quickly learn that both types of work are equally demanding. There is no such thing as electricity and nothing can be accomplished without maximum effort.
Soon all the crops are harvested and it is time to celebrate. A nearby tribe, the Wampanoag, join them. The Native Americans have killed five deer for the celebration. Upon their arrival, the harvest thanksgiving begins. It lasts for several days and there is good food, games and comradeship. The twins find some surprises in the celebration before their grandmother takes them on a flight back to her home. What are they?
What kinds of food were served at this first harvest celebration? Why was it safer for the Pilgrims to drink beer rather than water in their homeland of England? Have you ever eaten venison? What was the name the Pilgrims used for pumpkins? Why are harvest celebrations so necessary? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out “Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation” by Diane Stanley.
During the brutal years of the Civil War (1861-1865), President Lincoln felt that the country should lift itself up and offer thanks for the nation’s blessings. He decreed that the last Thursday of November would be a national day of Thanksgiving. Since the last Thursday of November varies, Franklin Roosevelt moved the date up one week in 1939 and 1940 to help retailers sell more products. This caused an uproar in the country and Congress passed a law in 1941 mandating that Thanksgiving be on the fourth Thursday of November. It has been so ever since.
Stanley’s book is filled with interesting illustrations and fun facts. Since some of the text is complicated, It is most appropriate for children with some beginning reading skills. This book would serve well in a read-aloud classroom setting or for older family members sharing the book with younger children. It is delightful to read. Enjoy, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
