Do you have cherished memories of Thanksgiving’s past? My recollections of this holiday centers around the kids table where I was forced to mediate. My brothers hated one another in those days, and at times made life miserable for my sisters and me. Fortunately, that’s in the past, as the boys are best of friends now. I have only one child, so my son will never experience Thanksgivings like those of my childhood. Thus, I’m determined to fill his memories with seasonal crafts, and unforgettable books. 10 Fat Turkeys is one work that's etched on his heart, and mind.

10 Fat Turkeys mimics the pattern in Melanie Gerth’s delightful book, Ten Little Ladybugs. If you’re familiar with this work, then you know it consists of simple subtraction where the numbers decrease on each page, and all the ladybugs gather together at the end. This book follows that premise, but features goofy turkeys instead of ladybugs.

“10 fat turkeys fooling on a fence.
“Looky!” says a silly turkey swinging from a vine.
GOBBLE GOBBLE WIBBLE WOBBLE
Whoops! Now there are 9.”

The phrase, “Gobble Gobble Wibble Wobble” is repeated with each number, but unlike the ladybug book, Tony Johnston’s writing is plain nonsense. One turkey tries to roller skate, one balances some bricks, and another swallows a bee all while sitting on a fence. It’s gibberish, but little tykes love it, and the illustrations compliment the text. The artwork is bright and bold, and the turkeys are really exaggerated. They look like the Seven Dwarfs on speed. There eyes are bulging, and their torsos are seriously distended. Turkeys makes for hilarious characters, and Rich Deas uses their attributes to his advantage. I could be wrong, but the images appear to be painted with acrylics, because they’re opaque, and very vibrant. I like Deas overstated style, as it lends itself to the absurd, which follows that of the text.

10 Fat Turkeys is a short, 32 page book, and there’s very little text. It takes about a minute to read, but I love to speed it up, and embellish the “gobble gobble wibble wobble” part. The book doesn’t offer an age recommendation, but I say 2 to 5 is the ideal age, although, I wouldn’t hesitate in reading this to a one-year old.

I picked up this book a couple years ago when my son was three, and I pull it out every year after Halloween. It’s William’s one, and only Thanksgiving book, but it’s strange, that among the pile of Thanksgiving books checked out from the library, this silly book is the one he takes in the car, or over to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

Some may be turned off by this comedic work as rubbish because it doesn’t have anything to do with Thanksgiving per se, but I say let the little ones laugh, and in time they can learn about the pilgrims, Squanto, and the Wampanoag people. Adults will enjoy 10 Fat Turkeys, because it’s a fun book to read aloud. The repetition is good for little ears, and anything that gets a kid to treasure a book is always good with me. We love these wacky turkeys, and so will you.

ISBN: 0-439-45948-6
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books, 2004

This is another entry in mmcphee's Reading Write-Off

At 539 words, this review is also certified Lean 'n Mean




Additional Thanksgiving Delights:
A Plump and Perky Turkey
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims
The First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story
Alligator Arrived with Apples: A Potluck Alphabet Feast



Recommended: Yes