Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn : The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols

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Summary: The origins and meanings of the symbols of Thanksgiving
Review: Edna Barth cites Benjamin Franklin's wish that the Turkey had been selected as the representation of the United States since it was a much more respectable bird than the Bald Eagle, as well as a true original native of North America. Instead, the turkey is a symbol of one of the most American of holidays, Thanksgiving. For young readers who always think of the little band of Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony celebrating the first Thanksgiving, Barth and artist Ursula Arndt (pen drawings with yellow shading) try to provide a truer picture of what actually happened (e.g., Pilgrims were dressed in bright colors, not the drab costumes we traditionally depict them wearing) and how other symbols came to be associated with the holiday. From the turkey and cornstalks and ears of multicolored Indian corn and the fruits of the harvest spilling out of a horn of plenty, Barth explains everything (including my favorite, how we got from Crane Berry to Cranberry). In fact, Barth traces the holiday back to the harvest festivals of the Egyptians, Hebrews, Greek, and Celts. There is also a list of Thanksgiving stories, poems, pageants, and plays for future reference. "Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn" is one of several books authored by Barth looking at holiday symbols: other books cover Valentine, Halloween, Christmas and Easter. All of these books are written to be accessible to children and even though they are now over a quarter century old, they remain solid sources of information. All in all, this little book is a nice concise presentation of information useful to students and teachers alike at this time of year.

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Summary: Barth's Book Informative and Accessible for Young Students
Review: This non-fiction work of Barth's is one of many she has written on the origin of holidays. It is written on a level for children, but with facts that adults may not know, either. Barth exposes many myths about clothing, etc..concerning the Pilgrims and Native Americans one may not know. Except for some minor editorialization regarding religion, this is an outstanding book.