Happy Thanksgiving

I'm going to be way too busy tomorrow eating all the yummy Thanksgiving food so I wanted to share my favorite Thanksgiving book with you today.

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey is my go to read every Thankgiving.  This book has everything- humor and sweetness.

Using the rhyme and rhythm from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas this tells the story of a few kids who find out what happens to turkeys on Thanksgiving day.  It is the day before Thanksgiving and the class is taking a field trip to a turkey farm.  When the class meets arrives to meet Farm Mack Nuggett's eight turkeys (affectionately named Ollie, Stanely, Larry, Moe, Wally, Beaer, Shemp and Groucho) they fall instantly in love.  The class is distraught when they fine out the fate of their new turkey friends and decide they must do something about it.  Each of the kids "stuffed" a turkey under their shirt and and climbed aboard the school bus.  All of Farmer Mack Nuggett's turkeys were gone! The story ends with each of the children having the turkey to their Thanksgiving feast as a guest.  A true Thanksgiving story of love and thankfulness!

To go along with this book I always make a turkey craft.  The one I am sharing with you is great for a small number of children.  There is just a lot of prep work involved so it does not work well for a full class.

Materials:
- Construction paper or real feathers.
- Clear plastic cup
- Needle
- Thread of string
- Small square of sponge
- Glue
- Scissors

1) Poke a small hole in the top of the plastic cup and thread your string through the whole.  Tie a big enough knot so the string cannot be pulled through.
2) Tie a piece of sponge to the end of the string that is hanging through the cup.
3) I chose to trace my sons hands to use as the feathers.  You can either do that, cut feathers out of the paper or use real feathers.  Glue whatever you are using as feathers onto the back of the cup.
4) On the construction paper draw and cut out a turkey face.  Glue to the front of the cup.
5) Moisten the sponge that is hanging on the end of the string. Reach the sponge to the top of the string and drag it down.  You should hear a sound like a turkey.

Kids love playing with this little "craft".  Below is a video of what it looks and sounds like when finished.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Reading!
Laura