Turkeys in Disguise

PreS-Gr 2–A diverse group of crafty kids free a flock of turkeys from their pen and use increasingly zany costumes and props to disguise the birds as a long-lost aunt, an astronaut, a unicorn–anything but Thanksgiving dinner. Bright digital illustrations carry the slight story through to an impromptu parade featuring a feathery Farmer Byrd carrying a sign that proclaims “All out of turkeys this year!” The real Farmer Byrd graciously brings a wagon full of vegetables for the neighborhood to share instead. Though the text suggests that the children are feeling stress, also conveyed in their exaggerated facial expressions and frenzied activity, no one seems to miss the main course or mind the extra avian guests. The cheerful rhyme scheme is uneven in meter and occasionally broken by page turns, which weakens its effect. Human characters are depicted with a range of skin tones and hair textures.