P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet

Publishers Weekly

The picture book P Is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane, illus. by Helle Urban, offers informative ABCs in quatrain form: A is for the Atlantic Ocean, traveled by those "praying to be free"; B stands for the Bill of Rights, inspired in part by the Mayflower Contract; C for the "cache of Corn" taken by Pilgrims "from the Indian field." The short history lessons that supplement each quatrain, however, suggest use in a classroom setting more than as a child's personal reading. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

This book is aimed at an audience older than the usual consumers of alphabet books. Each letter is accompanied by a four-line verse which uses many key words beginning with the letter, as well as a sidebar of text providing some historical context. For example, "D" has "Drums, dances, and games,/ deer moccasins from animal skin./ Dyes for clothing and blankets,/ Pilgrims thank their native friends again"—while the sidebar details information about games played during the original Thanksgiving feast as well as various uses for cranberries. Full color, detailed illustrations depict people and scenes related to the topics presented. Not all of the topics presented relate to the original Thanksgiving feast; "B" is for "Bill of Rights," and "E" reviews the history of educator and editor Sarah Josepha Hale who lobbied for the institution of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Some of the text is a bit heavy-handed ("R" is for "all races in our republic") but lots of new and interesting information is provided in a format that invites browsing. The book is likely to be particularly useful as a classroom supplement for a Thanksgiving unit. 2003, Sleeping Bear Press/Gale Group, Ages 6 to 10.
— Dr. Judy Rowen

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-This alphabet book pairs each letter with a short poem and a sidebar that provides further information about the ideas presented in the verses. Unfortunately, along with the Thanksgiving theme, Crane tries to incorporate American democratic ideals into the text, resulting in poetry that is often contrived and sentimental. For the letter "I" she writes, "With Individual rights,/the Pilgrims' inspiration and intent/was to insure all people/what religious freedom meant." This is not only an awkward rhyme, but it is also incorrect. Pilgrims were generally intolerant of other religions. The entry for "L" projects Revolutionary War sentiments back onto the Pilgrims, "Land, land ho! At last, America!/Our dreams have come true./Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!/Oh Lord, we thank you!" In the sidebar on the "J" page, the author states that "many" guests leave Thanksgiving meals with "jars of jam or jelly cooked and canned during harvest season," yet the next sentence reads, "Canning and preserving is almost a lost art-." Some of the themes for the letters have little to do with Thanksgiving, e.g., "B" is for the "Bill of Rights." The best part of this book is the colorful artwork. The paintings are done in warm tones and portray an idealistic view of Colonial America.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.