Children's Book Review

Leah & I got this book from the library last Friday (we go to the library every Friday for a fresh supply of books). It was in a "holiday book" display.

As expected it's written in a chant like 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. It's absolutely an adorable beginning.

There are 8 children on a school bus riding to a turkey farm. They get there and there are 8 tiny turkeys and a farmer named Mack Nuggett which cracked me up. Leah was thoroughly enjoying my reading of it because I was hamming up the chant, of course.

And then sudden I hit this stanza...

Then somebody spotted
An ax by the door,
And she asked Farmer Nuggett
What it was for.

With a blink of his eye
And a twist of his head,
The old farmer told
A grim tale of dread:

"Tonight," said Mack Nuggett,
"These feathery beasts
Will be chopped up and roasted
For Thanksgiving feasts."

After this the children start crying - in the pictures it's full on sobbing. The farmer & teacher run to a well to get them a drink and when they come back the children are calm. And you see they each have a turkey stuffed up their shirt. They steal the turkeys and take them home.

The book says they each have a turkey as a guest for tday. And "feasted on veggies with jelly and toast, and everyone was thankful (The turkeys were most!)."

Seriously, I don't need a children's book that is going to prompted my child to ask me to explain what happens with an ax and a turkey!!!

Fascinatingly on the author's website it says:

"I don't consider this book to be a story about vegetarianism... to me, it's just a silly story about love and friendship. If this book has any 'message', it is perhaps that following your heart is often more important than following the rules."

It also states that he wasn't a vegetarian when he wrote the book but he is now a vegan.

Whatever. Not about vegetarianism? Give me a break. It points out that the bus was filled with love on the way home. Ya know, because they STOLE turkeys to save the turkey's lives.

Whatever. We only read it the once & then I put it up so she wouldn't even flip through and see the picture of the little girl holding an ax and asking what it's for!

Frankly, even if you ARE a vegetarian or vegan, it's so not appropriate to scare little kids with stories of turkey murders!

Sheesh!

Just so I'm clear - I'm not so much recommending this one ;)