Publishers Weekly
Before Thanksgiving, Tuyet's class makes turkeys out of pinecones and sings turkey songs. So she is dismayed to learn that her family will be eating duck for their holiday dinner. She breaks out her own money, but there is no turkey to buy at the Saigon Supermarket. Although Tuyet has fun on Thanksgiving, she is nervous about telling her class that she didn't eat turkey—until many classmates reveal that their families dined on dishes like lamb, enchiladas and tofu turkey. A lighthearted reminder about multicultural traditions during the holidays. Ages 6–8. (Sept.)
Children's Literature
- Barbara L. Talcroft
Tuyet is worried about a turkey for Thanksgiving. Her Vietnamese family will be eating duck; at school, everyone is talking about "Turkey Day" and making pinecone turkeys. Ba Noi, Tuyet's grandmother, arrives from New York bringing her special recipe for spicy duck and the family drives to the well-stocked Saigon Supermarket to buy—duck, not turkey. With her aunt, uncle, and cousins joining them for a delicious Vietnamese dinner, Tuyet has a wonderful day, though she is still afraid they did not celebrate Thanksgiving properly. Back at school, she discovers that her classmates did not either but ate dinners ranging from noodles and chicken (Phong), lamb (Tarek), and enchiladas (Carolina) to tofu turkey (Amy) and roast beef (Jonathan). Enthusiastically, Tuyet decides that her family can call the holiday "Duck Day." This is a sweet story that will resonate with most younger readers. Mitter's flat, colorful pictures show a happy, well-adjusted family (though we do not know anything about their past or when they immigrated) living in a typical American house with touches of bright Vietnamese fabrics and ceramics. The appealing spread of meats and fish, sauces, and fresh vegetables at the market could spark discussion and might even inspire a multicultural feast at school before the holiday. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft
School Library Journal
Gr 1–3—In school, Tuyet constructs a pinecone turkey and learns about Thanksgiving. At home, the child is dismayed because her mother is serving a family recipe from Vietnam of duck with spicy sauce instead of a traditional dinner. She counts her money to see if she has enough to buy a turkey, and then learns that the Saigon Supermarket where they shop does not sell it. Tuyet sets her pinecone creation beside her plate, so there will be a turkey on the Thanksgiving table. She enjoys a wonderful dinner "with lots of good food and family fun" and even has seconds of the delicious duck. Her worries return when she has to admit to her class that she did not eat turkey for the holiday. To her surprise, her classmates chime in with the alternative dishes they had on their tables. This sweet tale is written in straightforward prose and provides a brief glimpse of another culture. Mitter's bright illustrations accented with cozy details draw readers into Tuyet's happy home and enhance the story's heartwarming message.—Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA
Kirkus Reviews
In Tuyet's elementary-school classroom the days leading up to Thanksgiving-Turkey Day, as Mrs. Cook calls it-are full of turkeys: in songs, crafts and stories. So when her mother tells her they'll be having Ba Noi's special Vietnamese duck dish for their Thanksgiving meal, Tuyet is distressed. It's delicious, and she even has seconds, but what will the other kids think? Turns out her multicultural classmates ate noodles, lamb, roast beef, enchiladas and tofu as well as the customary gobbler. While this tale gets at the way differing culinary customs are applied by Americans of many backgrounds to the Thanksgiving dinner, it fails to acknowledge the mythology-good and bad-that surrounds the celebration, making it ultimately as flat as Mitter's crisp, pastel-hued, perspective-free illustrations. Does only half the job. (Picture book. 5-8)
