School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3Charity's family is rushing around cooking, cleaning, and packing for the annual trek to grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner. It isn't until her brother Fred sings a song en route about Charity and her spots that her parents stop what they are doing long enough to realize that the child has the chicken pox. The car turns around, heads home, and Thanksgiving, for Charity, is ruined. With the help of some hungry snow plowers, though, Grandma is able to surprise Charity and her family by coming to them with all of the typical Thanksgiving trimmings, complete with a surprise addition bound to get a smile from any child who has had the chicken pox. Watercolor and marker illustrations dominate each page with a profusion of color that almost makes a rainbow seem dull. Donohue mixes patterns and geometric shapes well; checks, stripes, and floral motifs all blend harmoniously on any given page. Turkey Pox serves as both an unusual holiday story and as a rousing complement to other pox books such as Marc Brown's Arthur's Chicken Pox (Little, 1994).Lisa Marie Gangemi, Sousa Elementary School, Port Washington, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
When a case of the chicken pox prevents Charity and her family from going to Nana's house on Thanksgiving, Nana brings the turkey to them with the help of four snowplow drivers -- all of whom had the disease when they were little. Cheerful illustrations and a fast pace keep the reader turning the pages. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Ages 4-7. Anxious for her favorite roast turkey dinner at Nana's, Charity is up at dawn, scratching and watching as her family prepares for Thanksgiving. On the snowy drive to Grandmother's house, Charity's chicken pox is discovered, so her father turns the car around and heads home. The disappointed child is longing for her traditional holiday celebration when Grandma arrives with roast turkey and four snowplow drivers: she has offered them dinner in exchange for a ride to Charity's house. The bright watercolor paintings illustrate the story with warmth, humor, and a certain down-home zaniness. Featuring a satisfying story and appealing illustrations, this picture book is just right for reading aloud to classes in the fall, before the Thanksgiving holidays, and in the spring, during chicken pox season. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1996)0807581275Carolyn Phelan