Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Duck for Turkey Day
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Albert Whitman, 2009 ISBN: 0807517348
In school, Tuyet and her classmates sing songs about turkeys, and they make little pine cone turkeys figures too. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. When she gets home, Tuyet tells her mother that they need to buy a turkey. Her mother explains that they are going to cook a duck. When Tuyet’s grandmother arrives from New York, she too says that they are going to cook duck using a Vietnamese recipe.
Tuyet is very upset about this. Her family don’t seem to understand that you are supposed to eat turkey at Thanksgiving and not duck. Even after she enjoys eating the duck, Tuyet worries. What will her teacher think about Tuyet eating a duck and not a turkey on Thanksgiving.
This picture book explores the idea that holidays are not about the food we eat. Instead, they are about the family members and friends that we spend those holidays with. In addition, the story reminds young readers that in America people from many countries live together, and they bring traditions from other countries to their dining tables.
