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Summary
Summary
When Ed and Ann's turkey dinner burns, they think their Thanksgiving is ruined. But what appears to be a disaster becomes a blessing in disguise when Ed and Ann unknowingly intrude on an immigrant family's own Thanksgiving celebration at their new restaurant, The New World Café. Once Grandmother silences her despairing family and invites the unexpected customers to join them, they all share an evening of friendship, good food, and lots of dancing--reminding everyone that Thanksgiving is about opening one's heart in welcome to the strangers who become friends and the disappointments that bring unexpected joys.
Author Notes
Debby Atwell is a well-known landscape painter and the author and illustrator of River, Barn, and Pearl. Barn earned a starred review from School Library Journal and was named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year in 1996. Pearl also received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Ms. Atwell lives in Maine.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-After burning the Thanksgiving dinner, an elderly couple goes down the street to a restaurant. They wander in through the open door of the New World Caf?, but the proprietor's family thinks that having customers will ruin their private party. Grandmother chastises them and so the "guests" are given the seats of honor. Soon, Ed and Ann join Papa, Grandmother, and the others in sharing their songs, dancing, and holiday warmth. As the family bids their new friends good evening, Papa wonders at the raw potato jammed under the door. Grandmother says, "In old country Thanksgiving door is like happy heart, opened up big and wide. Potato good for that." Atwell's luminous folk-art illustrations expand the story through details such as Russian onion domes in a picture on the wall, fur hats on the men, scarves on the women, and the cover illustration of Grandmother jamming that potato under the door. A particularly nice feature of this story is its focus on the elderly couple. A fine addition to holiday collections and for those looking for immigrant stories.-Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
After Ann and Ed, an elderly couple, overcook their dinner, they venture out to the nearby New World Cafe and find the door open. Readers are privy to the restaurateur's preparations for a family-only dinner and the children's plot to scare off the uninvited guests-but Grandmother reminds them it's a day of sharing, and the family shows Ann and Ed to seats of honor. Unusual centerpieces, Russian-looking fur hats on the men and white linen scarves to cover the women's hair, suggest the family's ethnic origins, but the focus here is not so much on the menu as on the spirit of generosity intrinsic to the holiday. The hosts show Ann and Ed upstairs for dancing after dinner; Ann teaches them to conga, Ed and Papa swap hats, and a friendship blooms. Adults may best appreciate the staid but accomplished artwork, but all will likely tap into the acts of kindness that contribute to Atwell's (River; Barn) economically told tale. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
When elderly couple Ed and Ann burn their Thanksgiving dinner, they decide to try the new neighborhood restaurant, the New World Café, which unbeknownst to them is closed for a private party. But soon Ed is learning dances from the old country, and Ann is leading everyone in a conga line. The illustrations, expertly composed and festive with activity, glow with the richly saturated colors of eastern European folk art. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In this sweet but slight story that conveys the true meaning of Thanksgiving, Atwell brings together two disparate families--pilgrims in their own way--for a celebratory feast. Ed and Ann have no choice but to try the new local restaurant when Ann burns their Thanksgiving dinner. To the distress of the children in the Eastern European immigrant family who own the place, the elderly couple saunter in the open door unannounced and uninvited to what the kids hoped would be a private family party. Grandma won't hear of anyone being turned away, however, and soon Ed and Ann are shown to the best seats at the table, embraced by the whole family, and dance the night away. "Thanksgiving door," says Grandma, "is like happy heart, opened up big and wide." Atwell's folkloric illustrations are colorful and energetic. A somewhat different dish for the Thanksgiving table. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 1-3. An elderly couple, Ann and Ed, go to the New World Cafe on Thanksgiving Day because Ann has burned dinner. The door is open, and the tables are decorated--not only with Pilgrims and Indians but also with tiny, bearded, probably Russian dancing figurines. The cafe owners, apparently immigrants, wonder why their door was open and who has crashed their party, but Grandmother is welcoming, and dinner is fun for all. After Ann and Ed leave, Papa tries to close the door, but finds a potato propping it open: In old country, Grandmother reminds him, Thanksgiving door is like happy heart, opened up big and wide. Potato good for that. With adults as main characters, the audience for this may be hard to find, and as Thanksgiving is an American celebration, it's not clear what Grandmother means when she talks of the old country holiday. The pictures, however--bright, cheerful, and brimming with folk-art patterns--will help draw attention to a story that does reflect a message of the holiday. --GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright 2003 Booklist