Thanksgiving at the Tappletons'

by Eileen Spinelli, Maryann Cocca-Leffler (Illustrator)

Overview

"There is more to Thanksgiving than a turkey and trimmings," this funny and sweet family classic reminds us.

Thanksgiving is always a big day at the Tappletons'. But this Thanksgiving each task is interrupted by calamity and hilarity: first the turkey slips away . . . then the bakery is sold out . . . and so on, until Uncle Fritz and Grandfather Tappleton despair of ever eating dinner at all!

It's not until Grandmother Tappleton reminds everyone, "There is more to Thanksgiving than a turkey and trimmings," that the Tappletons begin to improvise . . . and end up enjoying a most unusual holiday "feast."

Delicious art adds to the merriment of this warm, contemporary tale whose mirth and message readers of all ages will savor.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062363985
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/15/2015
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Eileen Spinelli is the author of many picture books and poetry collections, including A Big Boy Now, Hug a Bug, and the bestselling When Mama Comes Home Tonight, among others. When she writes a story, she has an instant audience: her twenty-five grandchildren and husband, Jerry (also a writer). Aside from story making, Eileen teaches creative writing and poetry. The Spinellis live in Media, Pennsylvania.

Maryann Cocca-Leffler is thrilled that the Tappletons are back! She illustrated the very first version of Thanksgiving at the Tappletons' in 1982 as a new illustrator fresh out of art school, and then reillustrated it in 1992. Since then, Maryann has written and illustrated over fifty children's books, including Rain Brings Frogs, A Vacation for Pooch, and Janine. Maryann lives and works in New Hampshire.

Editorial Reviews

Wolves get a bad rap. Their reputation for mayhem will dissolve, though, when readers celebrate Thanksgiving with the Tapletons, the nicest family of wolves you'll ever encounter. In this delightful story, Mrs. Tapleton makes the turkey; Mr. Tapleton buys the pies; Kenny tosses the salad; and Jenny mashes the potatoes. A quirky, homey feast.

First published in 1982, Thanksgiving at the Tappletons' by Eileen Spinelli is being reissued with new art by Megan Lloyd. The illustrations present an all-animal cast (who bear a slight resemblance to Ashley Wolff's furry critters), with the Tappleton clan starring as wolves determined to make the most of it when their roast turkey goes missing. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 3-This charming title, originally published in 1982 (HarperCollins), has been newly illustrated with vibrant, humorous artwork, with wolves instead of people as characters. The trouble begins when the turkey slips from Mrs. Tappleton's grasp and slides out the door, across the lawn, and into the frozen pond. Nonstop hilarity continues and more challenges develop with the pies, mashed potatoes, and even the salad. This family races through the day, experiencing one calamitous food catastrophe after another. However, the guests realize that Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate one another, not the traditional feast. This never-a-dull-moment look at Thanksgiving is a feast for the eyes; the slapstick events that develop are what help to strengthen the family ties. A comical, quirky view of tradition and togetherness, this title will be a surefire hit with the storytime crowd.-Andrea Tarr, Corona Public Library, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Thanksgiving doesn't turn out quite the way the Tappletons intend. Mother gets up at the crack of dawn to put the turkey in the oven, but thanks to the milkman, the bird slips out of her hands, down the icy sidewalk, and into a pond. Father gets to the bakery too late to get any pies. Brother Kenny has inadvertently fed the salad to his rabbits, and sister Jenny makes a blender mess out of the potatoes. No one, however, confesses, so it's not until the hungry relatives show up that the truth must be faced--no dinner. Not surprisingly, the moral of all this is that the important thing is being together, but before she gets to that tried-and-true adage, Spinelli has a lot of fun along the way. The bird slithers in the snow, mashed potatoes decorate the walls, and Grandpa keeps insisting he's as hungry as an elephant, even while his prospects for food grow dimmer. The text, originally published in 1982 by Addison-Wesley, has been completely reillustrated, and the art captures the slapstick fun.

Ilene Cooper