Did you know that while most Americans celebrate the fourth Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving, many Native Americans consider it a day of mourning?
The Wampanoag had inhabited Southeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years before the Mayflower Pilgrims arrived in 1620. This illuminating new picture book tells the story of the first Thanksgiving from a Native American perspective.
We first hear a conversation between a contemporary Wampanoag grandmother, N8hkumuhs (NOO-kuh-mus), and her grandchildren Maple and Quill. They are curious to learn how Weeâchumun, the Guardian Spirit of Corn, asked their ancestors to help the Pilgrims.
“The first Thanksgiving?” Maple asked.
“Some people call it that,” N8hkumuhs said. “We call it Keepunumuk, the time of harvest. Here’s what really happened.”
Weeâchumun grew concerned when a large boat with white sails approached the shore one fall day. Who were these new people? Could she trust them? It had been two winters since many of the First Peoples who had cared for her had passed on to the Spirit World. Would this winter be her last? She called upon Fox to keep an eye on the newcomers.
As fall turned to winter, Fox watched the newcomers travel inland, enter the forest, and build homes on top of an empty village. Though they diligently searched for food, it was never enough, and many died from cold, starvation and disease. Unlike the others who’d come to hunt, fish, and trade years before, these newcomers seemed different: they were here to stay.
When spring arrived, Weeâchumun and her two sisters, Beans and Squash, awoke from their winter slumber. They pushed through the ground and reached for the sky as the sun warmed the earth.
“I have great respect for children. And I have great respect for their ability as writers.” ~ Patricia MacLachlan
“Words have not only a definition… but also the felt quality of their own kind of sound.” ~ Mary Oliver
Where do poets find their words?
Young Lucy learns the answer to this question in My Poet, a luminous new picture book by late Newbery Medalist Patricia MacLachlan and illustrator Jen Hill (Katherine Tegen Books, 2022).
One summer day, Lucy and the poet next door – whom she calls “my poet” – explore their seaside town with a shared goal: to find words. Lucy, an aspiring poet, takes along her notebook and pen.
Together, they visit the farmers market, stroll along the beach with the poet’s dogs, meander through the woods by the marsh, and take refuge in a boathouse during a thunderstorm.
Throughout the day, Lucy notes that her poet sees objects differently, describing them in novel ways. A strawberry is a jewel. A stone has a story. Lucy wonders how her poet hears the words she writes about her dogs.
You know, nothing hits the spot like a tasty bowl of Frog Soup. Made fresh. By a witch.
Welcome to the Bewitching Kitchen cooking show, where our pointy-hatted host will teach you how to make this easy and healthy dish at home.
We first learn that Frog Soup is the witch’s favorite treat. The model of sweetness and light, she joyfully takes us step by step through the recipe. After placing her cauldron on the fire, she adds salt, pepper, 22 (!) cloves of garlic, six potatoes and three carrots. Mustn’t forget a cup of fly extract.
Finally, the most important ingredient of all: a spoonful of frogs – to add “a kick of flavor and a pop of color.”
Well, easier said than done. She gently tries to “place the frogs on the spoon.” Seems they have other ideas – frogs, after all, like to leap, jump and hop. She tries to grab, get, find, scoop, chase, and trap them in a pot.
Raise your paws if you love pancakes. Now twitch your whiskers if you especially like eating them on Sundays. I thought so. 🙂
Just hearing the word “pancake” makes me happy. No wonder: they’re a universally beloved comfort food, a direct line to childhood memories of lazy Sunday morning family breakfasts. Pancakes drenched in maple syrup with pats of butter melting down the sides — yes, please!
Love when there’s another illustration under the book jacket!
Now, reading about pancakes is almost as good as eating them, so I was quite excited when I heard aboutSunday Pancakes by Maya Tatsukawa (Dial BFYR, 2022). But. I. absolutely. was. not. prepared for the hug-myself adorableness of this darling book.
So, Cat’s all set to make pancakes but doesn’t have any eggs or milk. What to do? Call friends to see if they have some. Luckily Rabbit has eggs and Moonbear has milk. They’re hungry for pancakes too!
Rabbit zips over to Cat’s house on his scooter, singing as he goes. “Pancakes Flapjacks Hotcakes.” He’s a little hyper and clumsy, so when he hop-trips in the front door some of the food items fly out of his basket. Blueberries, carrots, eggs on the floor – well, not all the eggs (phew!).
Next, Moonbear arrives with a carton of milk and a jar of homemade – “HOOAANNHEY!” (That’s what “honey” sounds like when you’re tripping over a carrot.) 😀
Jama's Alphabet Soup 