Reading With the Seasons: Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to read at least one book during the month of November that helped you get ready for the day.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the month, I had a few books I wanted to get to--books that would make me hungry or historically-minded or cozy or grateful. I asked for your suggestions as well, and several of you came through, especially in the historical category, which was the hardest one for me to fill. Over the course of the month, I found a few more ideas as well.

In no particular order:

The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness by Joel Ben Izzy was suggested by Stephanie. She said that it is one of her favorite books and makes her feel cozy and grateful. It's a new title for me. I can't wait to try it!

Witch Child by Celia Rees was suggested by Joanna. This one takes place in the 1650s and revolves around the witch trials. I knew there had to be some books set during this time period!

Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick - Partway through the month, I saw this book featured by Michele @ The Great Read. It is exactly what I was looking for! I even put it on hold at the library, but by the time it came in, the month was too far gone for me to want to start it. But next year...

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl - I mentioned that I was reading this one to help get me in the mood to eat. It maybe worked a little too well. (Full review here)

Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach - This is the other food book I talked about at the beginning of the month. I haven't finished it yet, but since I'm more than halfway, I can definitely recommend it and say that it is full of scrumptious-sounding recipes as well as being very entertaining and down-to-earth.

The Heretic's Daughter and  The Traitor's Wife (both by Kathleen Kent) were suggested by Lisa. They are historical novels set in the 1600s. The first one is about the Salem witch trials (I'm getting the feeling the witch trials are far more exciting to write about than the landing of the Mayflower), and the second one is a romance that takes in some of the political tension of the day. Really grateful for another historical suggestion!

Stories of the Pilgrims by Margaret B. Pumphrey - I found this one suggested by Debbie @ Our Cup of Tea. Because I had been on the lookout for books about Pilgrims, it immediately caught my interest. It is written for children, but I still think it could provide some good information about America's early days.

So there are a few titles to get you started when November rolls around again. Up next: CHRISTMAS! (I have a feeling it will be a little bit easier to think up books for this season! Get ready to share!)

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl

For many years, anytime I had to list my hobbies/interests/talents on a random questionnaire, I would faithfully include "cooking" on the list. But one day, Mike blatantly and honestly told me, "You do not love to cook." He could make this judgment because he does, in fact, love to cook, and he could tell we were not having even close to the same experience in the kitchen. (He breathes in the aromas as he minces garlic and sautees onions and does a little happy dance; I observe the minutes on the clock slipping away while I practically slice off a finger chopping vegetables and take in the mess of my kitchen with a discouraged sulk.)

I do, however, love, love, love food. So if I could list "tasting and savoring" or "reading  a recipe and dreaming of eating it" or "watching with fixed fascination practically any show on Food Network" on my list of hobbies, then that would probably be a more honest indication of my relationship with food.

So did I love Garlic and Sapphires? Yes, I loved it.

Ruth Reichl was the restaurant critic for the New York Times from 1993 to 1999. A few months before beginning the job, she was on a flight and was shocked to discover that New York's best restaurants were preparing for her; they knew what she looked like and everything, from professional to personal, about her. She knew there was no way she could possibly write honest reviews if she was always getting the red carpet treatment, so she set out to create a vast array of disguises for herself--everything from a dumpy old lady to a hot platinum blonde. She was wildly successful and learned a whole lot about herself in the process.

This book was fun and interesting in so many different dimensions:

First, of course, the food dimension. I have never read anyone who can write about food the way Ruth Reichl does. It is an experience in and of itself. For example: "I tasted the linguine, fragile ribbons as delicate as butterfly wings with curls of white truffle skittering between them." Yum. My mouth watered through the whole book. Even things like sea urchins or squid ink that would almost certainly hold no appeal to me in real life sounded tantalizing.  All of the reviews really made me want to go to an expensive, well-known restaurant in New York City someday (although we would stick out like the cheapskates we are and consequently would get the worst service, I'm sure). As it was, Mike and I did go out to eat while I was in the middle of this book (a rare occurrence for us, and by our standards, it was not a dumpy restaurant), and I felt like I was enjoying the meal on a whole new level simply because I was paying attention to every detail and wishing I could dissect the food just like Ruth.

In between the restaurant reviews were sprinkled Ruth's own favorite recipes. I enjoyed these because they demonstrated Ruth's love of food in a whole different way. I tried "Nicky's Vanilla Cake" (hey, I didn't say I don't like to cook/bake--trying out a new recipe can be quite fun), and it was really spongy and yummy. Even Mike, who really doesn't like cake all that much, can't stop talking about it.

Second, there was the disguises dimension. In the course of the book, she talks about six of the different women she became over the six years she was at the New York Times. These disguises were more than a wig and makeup. She actually took on a completely different persona with each one. But what I found absolutely fascinating was the way she could see a tiny bit of herself reflected in each character. For example, "Brenda" was a flamboyant and friendly and very fun redhead. After going out as Brenda with her family, her son, Nicky, said, "I like eating with Brenda. She talks to people. Being with her is fun!" Ruth felt a little bit bad about this, but then her husband reassured her, "[Brenda] is really you. She's just you in a particularly good mood." Some of her other characters, Emily in particular, brought out her worst qualities. (And Chloe, the blond bombshell, made me the most uncomfortable, just because I could see how easily pretending to be someone you're not could lead to dangerous relationships). I loved the contrast between what she said when she was Brenda ("Brenda was my best self, the person I've always wanted to be. She was generous and funny, optimistic and smart. She was kind.") and when she was Emily ("It was extremely unpleasant to find how easily I had been able to summon this mean, petty person who was waiting inside me."). It really gave me a lot to think about--that we each have a whole mix of attributes inside us, but it really is a choice which ones we let shine through.

Finally, there was the "personal journey" dimension. When the story began, Ruth was at the height of her career. Being the restaurant critic of the New York Times? Can you climb any higher than that? But the longer she spent tasting exotic and gourmet dishes, the more she longed to be at home preparing her own food for her own family. She realized she wanted the added experience that being intimate  with her own food would bring her. She also realized that spending a good deal of her time as someone else was taking its toll. She said, "I saw that when I became Emily I had played with fire." Instead of spending her life pretending to be someone else, she wanted to work on becoming the best self she could possibly be.

My one criticism of the book is that, as so often seems to happen with memoirs, many of the events, names, and dates just didn't match up for me.There was too much jumping around for me to make a cohesive line in my mind. I don't know if I just wasn't following it correctly, but often she would talk about something new, and I would think she had already mentioned it, or vice versa, or she would mention people I didn't remember--things like that. It definitely could have been due to reader error though.

I listened to part of the book, and the narrator, Bernadette Dunne, was quite good. Even though it is nonfiction, Ruth describes so many different people (both real and created), and Bernadette Dunne was able to bring all of them to life.

I did think it was funny that while I was reading, I kept thinking, This would be such a fun job, but then I realized I could never do it since I don't drink alcohol. I had no idea how big a role alcohol plays in the melding and highlighting of different flavors. Although, Mike was quick to point out that he thinks root beer is a perfect complement to pizza, so he could totally see how wine would do the same thing. (Yes, we really are that naive.)

And so the book ends with Ruth leaving the New York Times in pursuit of some other dreams and goals. I thought it was a perfect ending and really gave this memoir a lot more depth than I was expecting. I actually read this for my book club this month, and it made for a really wonderful discussion. Mike also read it and liked it almost as much as I did. It really is so much more than a food book.

Note of caution: There is a little bit of language, including one scene with an F-word.

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny--Detectives Extraordinaire by Polly Horvath

With a title like that, I don't know how you could not want to read it. Seriously.

One evening when I went to the library alone (a semi-rare occasion, and one that I relish every time), I was perusing the children's audio book section when I happened upon Mr. and Mrs. Bunny. The title alone would have probably been enough to make me pull it off the shelf for a closer look, but I had also read several things about it and was therefore even more curious. I was just about to check it out when I thought, Wait. Maybe this would be a great one to read aloud to Aaron. I put it back on the shelf. And turned to go. And then I thought, Actually, since I really don't know what age it's geared for, I should probably read it first. I picked it back up. And then I thought, But it's about bunnies. Of course, it would be appropriate for a four-year-old! He will want to hear it! I put it back down. Finally I thought, If I like it well enough the first time, then it will be a pleasure to read it a second. And with that, I thrust it into my library bag without giving myself another chance to change my mind. (If I'm this indecisive about children's books, is it any wonder I'm terrified about buying a house someday?! And Mike does not make definite decisions any better. We're doomed.)

As it turned out, despite the adorable bunnies on the cover, Aaron would most definitely not have understood much about this book, especially the hippie, irresponsible parents (who may or may not be a little high on drugs). So I'm glad I didn't dive into it with him. But I am glad I read it myself. I maybe laughed my head off in a few places.

Madeline is a young girl with ridiculous parents. How ridiculous? They insist on being called Flo and Mildred (not Dad and Mom), they don't keep track of anything (addresses, appointments, etc.), and they would rather spend their time making paper lanterns than working a real job (or paying attention to Madeline). In fact, they're so ridiculous, they end up being kidnapped by a group of power-hungry, and also just plain stomach-hungry, foxes. Madeline knows her parents will never be able to save themselves, so she tackles the problem herself. Fortunately, she runs into Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, who, even more fortunately, have just purchased fedoras and decided to become detectives. Madeline hires them on the spot, and the three put their heads together to find the diabolical foxes.

Okay, so if you want a taste for what this book is like, just picture a rabbit in purple platform shoes and a fedora driving a smart car. (He has to wear the platform shoes in order to reach the pedals.) I wish I had a hard copy of the book, so I could quote a few passages for you, but what I just described actually captures the flavor of the book really well.

So, yes, it is uproariously funny, but not in a way that a four-year-old would get at all. In fact, I'm trying to think which age would enjoy it the most. Maybe 9-12 year-olds? (I think that's who it's written for at any rate.) That is, if they don't feel too self-conscious reading a book with bunnies (in fedoras) on the cover. But I don't know. In all honesty, it was pretty down-right enjoyable as an adult.

The audio is narrated by Polly Horvath. I always love it when authors narrate their own books, and this one was no exception. I especially loved the voices she used for Flo and Mildred. They were so perfect and seriously made me laugh every time.

All in all, this is a fun book, and it makes me want to read some more by Polly Horvath.

Note: This book is also my third potential-Newbery read of the year. I wanted to read at least three before the award is announced in January. Of the three I've read, I think Wonder has the most likely chance, but there are still several more contenders I hope to have time for.

The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell

I am extremely behind with my book reviews (and when I say "extreme," I mean about four books-worth, but that feels extreme to me). So I'm going to try to catch up this week.

I picked up The Aviary back in October (is it really almost December now?!). It was on my to-read list, and I honestly couldn't remember what prompted me to put it there, but it looked like a great pre-Halloween read; it is set at the turn of the (20th) century, and the main character lives in a large, old, somewhat dilapidated house. Add in a few murders, a fifty-year-old mystery, a few hints at a ghost, and a flock of enchanted birds, and it was even more perfectly spooky than I thought it would be.

Clara Dooley is eleven years old. She and her mother live with Mrs. Glendoveer (along with the housekeeper, Ruby) and care for her in her old age. Clara is never allowed to leave the mansion because she is frail and sickly from a weak heart. Mrs. Glendoveer keeps a cage of five exotic birds. One morning when Clara is out on the grounds, one of the birds begins frantically screaming, "Elliot! Elliot!" Clara tells Mrs. Glendoveer about the bird's strange behavior, and Mrs. Glendoveer doesn't seem all that surprised. She alludes to some disturbing events from her past, but Clara doesn't want to pry. Then, Mrs. Glendoveer gets very sick and dies (sorry, that was a bit abrupt). Without quite intending to, Clara sets out to solve the Glendoveer mystery: What happened to the Glendoveer children? Why do the people in Clara's small town regard the Glendoveer's with such distrust and fear? Why is Clara never allowed beyond the grounds? And what are the birds trying to tell her?

I didn't even realize this was a mystery when I started reading it, but I loved that it was. And really, it was just the kind of mystery I like: while it does involve up to seven possible murders, they happened fifty years before the book takes place, so there wasn't anything descriptive or graphic. Also, I thought the book was paced really, really well--the first half was set up with lots of unanswered questions, and the second half brought all of the pieces together one by one.  I also liked this story because there was just a hint at the supernatural/fantastical--nothing too crazy or unbelievable but enough that it was different and intriguing.

And then, I have to say that the setting was perfect. I tend to like stories that are set in the early 1900's anyway, but in a creaky old mansion with dark closets and dusty trunks and a locked up attic room? Mmmm, yes. Definitely worth getting lost in.

I wish I could say more about the birds because they ended up being some of my favorite "characters," but I don't want to ruin it for anyone, so I'll leave it at that.

I also really liked Clara's friend, Daphne. She complemented Clara really well, although I did think their friendship took off a little too quickly. Then again, Clara was so starved for friendship that I guess it was only natural for her not to waste any time.

I've read other books like this one where I liked everything about them until the very end, but then all of a sudden things wrapped up much too quickly. I think this is an easy trap to fall into when you've set up the whole book trying not to reveal too much so that then, when the questions do start being answered, everything gets answered all at once because it's too difficult to continue to pace the story and hold back little bits of information. Anyway, I'm happy to say that did not happen with this book. By the end, all of the dangling strings were tied up, but Kathleen O'Dell maintained a perfect pace throughout. What's more, even though some of the resolutions were a surprise, they all made sense and nothing was out of character with the beginning of the book.

This definitely was a good book for October, but you could read it at any time of the year, and as long as you're in the mood for a good, old-fashioned mystery, you will come away satisfied.

Four Facts for Friday (4)

A fact about Thanksgiving: it was great. Check out this spread of pies:

A fact about my stress: I spent the evening frantically trying to finish a free calendar from Shutterfly. I finished, but I'm not entirely sure I'm going to be pleased with it when it comes in the mail.

A fact that I'm gloating over: I mailed my Christmas cards today. Yes, I did. See that stack of stamped envelopes sitting on the seat of my car? Last year, I felt like I saved too much for the week before Christmas (including Christmas cards). So I made a goal to be more on top of at least this one thing this year. And I did it! Pat on the back for me!

A fact about Christmas: I am super excited for it, but I have waaaaay too many projects I want to do. This blog might just be hijacked to showcase my craft and sewing projects instead of book reviews.

KidPages: Five Thanksgiving Books

Even though I love Thanksgiving, I can't say I'm in love with Thanksgiving books. There just seem to be a lot of...can I use the word "boring"?...stories. But these five books? They are most certainly not boring. And they will put you right in the mood to eat some stuffing and count your blessings:

1. Sometimes It's Turkey, Sometimes It's Feathers, Lorna Balian

Although not a new book (1973), Sometimes It's Turkey, Sometimes It's Feathers is new to us this year. I love it when I find a new, old book. It gives me hope that there are still many old books out there that I have yet to discover.

If you're in the mood for a good story, this is it. Mrs. Gumm (love her name!) finds an egg one day while she is hunting for mushrooms. The egg turns out to be nothing less than a genuine turkey egg, and Mrs. Gumm and her cat lovingly care for the turkey that hatches out of it in the hopes that he will make a delicious Thanksgiving dinner come fall. Of course, after all that love and care, Mrs. Gumm can't bring herself to eat him, making the excuse that he will be even bigger next Thanksgiving.

I love Lorna Balian's illustrations - fine lines and neutral colors (kind of like black and white ink, but brown and white instead). The copy we have from the library is an old edition, and it looks like the cover (and perhaps the inside too?) has since been updated, but it's a great book either way. 

2. The First Thanksgiving, Nancy Davis

I'm feeling a little possessive over this book. I found it at the beginning of the month and immediately fell in love with its simple text and illustrations. Apparently, everyone else fell in love with it, too, because I've seen it on at least a couple other Thanksgiving lists (and if it's on a couple, well then, you know everyone is reading it). I guess since I rely on book lists so much, I feel a sort of personal triumph anytime I find a really great book on my own. So, for the record, this book find was all mine.

Anyway, enough about my slightly neurotic possessive disorder.  This little board book is a great introduction to the historical events leading up to the first Thanksgiving (the Mayflower, befriending the native people, etc.). Finding a book that talks about the pilgrims and the Indians in a simple enough way for the under-3 crowd to be able to grasp and understand is a rarity. Really almost nonexistent. But this book somehow does it in as few words as I've ever seen but still hitting on all the important points. I actually thought (more or less), as I read it to my kids for the first time, "I have been searching for this particular book my entire four years of motherhood!"

3. Off to Plymouth Rock!, Dandi Daley Mackall, illus. Gene Barretta

The First Thanksgiving is perfect for toddlers, but it is a little too basic for 3-5 year-olds. There are a lot of good thankful books and turkey books for this age group, but again, if you want more of the historical aspect, you're faced with the text-heavy, information-laden books. Seriously, it seems almost wrong to shelf this type of fare alongside Run, Turkey, Run. I'm sure it's great for elementary-school-aged kids (although I'm not entirely convinced they wouldn't find it boring, too), but really there is just no way you're going to get a four-year-old to sit through pages of names and dates and places and events (believe me, I tried).

So it was with great delight that I began reading Off to Plymouth Rock. Each page contains a lilting verse, with an easy, catchy rhythm. It explores some of the difficult issues and events ("Leaving, grieving, still believing" and "Blizzards pounding, Snows abounding"), but in a concise, memorable way. Simple text like this makes for the perfect kind of lead-in to deeper discussion if curiosity arises (for example, "Why were the Pilgrims fleeing?"). But it can definitely stand on its own without any explanations or clarifications. The illustrations, although at times not the most historically accurate or realistic, are nevertheless quite entertaining and complement the text very well.

Last week, I had literally almost given up hope of finding this type of Thanksgiving book when, in a last ditch effort, I put this on hold at the library. I'm so glad I found it. (Notice, I found it. Just giving credit where credit is due!)

4. All for Pie and Pie for All, David Martin, illus. Valeri Gorbachev

I already mentioned Mike's obsession over pie, so is it any wonder that we would gravitate toward a book all about sharing and eating this glorious food?

Grandma Cat makes a pie, and everyone in the Cat family eats a piece. When they are done, there is one piece left over. While the cats are napping, a family of mice split the leftover piece. When they are through, there are six crumbs left, which a family of ants heartily enjoy. The cats, the mice, and the ants all enjoy the pie so much that Grandma Cat decides to make another one.

With the ants eating the pie to the very last crumb, the lessons of resourcefulness and not wasting are conveyed. Also, I like how it shows the pie being savored and so completely enjoyed. And then, of course, it's also gratifying to see the grandma making another pie, so good things don't have to come to an end! :-) Really, it's just a fun, sweet story that will wake up your taste buds.

5. Bear Says Thanks, Karma Wilson, illus. Jane Chapman

It might be in bad taste to admit this on the night before Thanksgiving but...I don't really love the "thankful books." Do you know the ones I mean? There are oodles of them, and they're all about the same: we're thankful for family and nature and friendship and food and blah, blah, blah. They're all so generic and impersonal and do absolutely nothing for me.

But...showing gratitude is one of the reasons why I love Thanksgiving so much. I want Aaron and Maxwell and Bradley to know what it means to be grateful. And it's such a shame that books, which usually come through for me in every situation, kind of fail me in this area. Honestly, reading a little cutesy verse about being thankful for flowers and universal kindness? That does not leave any kind of impression on a two-year-old boy.

I'm telling you all of this so you'll understand why I liked Bear Says Thanks so much. First of all, it's a story with real characters (not some illusive narrator). What's more, it features a familiar character (we've read at least a couple of the other Bear books). In the story, Bear is bored and he wants to make a feast for his friends. Turns out, he doesn't have any ingredients. Luckily, his friends show up one by one, each with something delectable to share. And each time, "Bear says thanks." I love that it shows Bear being thankful for simple physical objects but that the deeper kind of gratitude for caring, generous friends comes through. This is the kind of thankful book I can be thankful for!

But I'm not going to lie...while the text is great and inspires some good feelings, it would be nothing without the illustrations. Jane Chapman's artwork is comfort itself. They are what take this from being a fine, average story to something quite beautiful and a joy to read.

So tomorrow, if you're in the mood for a little reading before feasting, you might give these books a try!

I'm linking this post to the Kid Lit Book Hop and The Children's Bookshelf.

SingingPages: Three Thanksgiving Songs

Did you know Thanksgiving is this Thursday? I don't know if it's because it's as early in the month as it can possibly be or what, but it seems to have arrived very quickly this year. So prepare yourself for an onslaught of Thanksgiving-themed posts this week.

First up, a few Thanksgiving songs. Last week, it was my turn to teach our little music class. (Remember the music class of my recent rant? I think a few moms purposely avoided it last week for fear of breathing too loudly.) Along with some of our frequently-sung songs, I wanted to teach a few new ones with a Thanksgiving flavor, so I scoured the internet for ideas, and I found some really fun ones:

1.  Did You Ever See a Turkey?

I got this idea from Read It Again! If you go to the link, you'll see how super creative I am since I copied her turkey exactly. That's what you have to do if you have zero artistic talent - rely on other people's. Um, but I did make mine out of felt, and I used smaller googly eyes, so, you know, I took a few creative liberties. :-)

To the tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie?"

Did you ever see a turkey, a turkey, a turkey,
Who struts around the farm yard with feathers so bright?
There are red ones and brown ones and orange ones and yellow ones.
Did you ever see a turkey with feathers so bright?

I had ten different colors of feathers, so each child got a chance to choose one to go behind Turkey Tom. We only did four at a time (so it would fit with the song), so we had some really unique color combinations! Also, one of my friends had a great song that was able to use all ten of the feathers. I can't remember it, but if I get the lyrics to that one, I'll add them here.

Turkey Tom with all ten feathers

2. Yummy Pies

I had to do this one. Mike is a pie-maniac around this time of year; he literally makes seven or eight (different) pies for Thanksgiving. (I think he mainly makes so many because he thinks having leftover pie for breakfast is the ultimate way to wake up in the morning.)

I got the idea for this song/flannel board from Trails and Tales. I copied it almost exactly except for swapping out the apple pie with pumpkin. I mean, it's Thanksgiving...I had to have pumpkin pie! Plus, it added another color to the mix, which I loved.

To the tune of "Three Blind Mice":

Pies, Pies, Pies
Pies, Pies, Pies.
Yummy pies,
Yummy pies.
Strawberry, blueberry, cherry, too.
Pumpkin and Key lime, to name a few.
Chocolate and lemon, how about you?
I love pie!
That's no lie!

Then we played the game suggested by Kathryn at Trails and Tales. The children closed their eyes, and I removed one of the slices of pie. Then they opened their eyes and had to try to figure out which one was missing. This game was actually a huge hit with Aaron and Max when we were practicing for music class at home.

I know these pies are made out of felt, but they kind of make my mouth water.

3. Thanks a Lot

And finally, what's any singing time without a little Raffi?I was not acquainted with this particular Raffi song, but I saw it on Storytime Secrets and loved having a song that encouraged a grateful attitude. It's from the album, "Songs of Our World," or you can hear Raffi himself singing it here.

I printed off pictures to go with the words (most of them came from the open clip art library because I have zero artistic talent, remember?). Then I laminated the pictures and attached them to craft sticks. I gave one to each child, and as we sang the words, they held up the appropriate picture (or didn't, as suited their fancy).

Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the sun in the sky.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the clouds so high.

 Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the whispering wind.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the birds in the spring.

 Thanks a lot.

Thanks for a moonlit night.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the stars so bright.

 

 Thanks a lot.

Thanks for a wondering me.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the way that I feel.

 Thanks for the animals.

Thanks for the land.

Thanks for the people everywhere.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks for all I've got.

Thanks for all I've got.

This has a really lilting, repetitive, almost sing-song-like tune that will put you into a hypnotic trance if you're not careful, so just beware.

I did sing one other Thanksgiving song but didn't make any visuals for it (although I brought along some paper plate pilgrims and Indians that Max made at preschool). This was a song that I grew up with, so I played it more for old time's sake (and its awesome jazzy tune) than for anything else. I'm not sure how readily available it is anymore, although it looks like the original songbook can be purchased from here. (Mine was from an old cassette that I stole from my mom.)

The words, although not entirely politically correct, go like this:

The Pilgrims and the Indians
Had a pow-wow a long time ago.
The Pilgrims and the Indians
Felt like having a party and so,
The Pilgrims and the Indians
Cooked a turkey and Indian corn.
Sat down and ate together,
And that is how Thanksgiving was born!

And now your Thanksgiving has a soundtrack! I'd love to hear if you end up singing any of them with your little ones!