School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-Tuyet's class enjoys turkey crafts and turkey songs, so her Vietnamese-American family's Thanksgiving duck worries her. Post-Thanksgiving, she is surprised to discover that many classmates ate alternatives, from lamb to enchiladas. Sweetly illustrated, this story shows that the heart of the holiday is family togetherness and gratitude. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Before Thanksgiving, Tuyet's class makes turkeys out of pinecones and sings turkey songs. So she is dismayed to learn that her family will be eating duck for their holiday dinner. She breaks out her own money, but there is no turkey to buy at the Saigon Supermarket. Although Tuyet has fun on Thanksgiving, she is nervous about telling her class that she didn't eat turkey-until many classmates reveal that their families dined on dishes like lamb, enchiladas and tofu turkey. A lighthearted reminder about multicultural traditions during the holidays. Ages 6-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
In Tuyet's elementary-school classroom the days leading up to ThanksgivingTurkey Day, as Mrs. Cook calls itare full of turkeys: in songs, crafts and stories. So when her mother tells her they'll be having Ba Noi's special Vietnamese duck dish for their Thanksgiving meal, Tuyet is distressed. It's delicious, and she even has seconds, but what will the other kids think? Turns out her multicultural classmates ate noodles, lamb, roast beef, enchiladas and tofu as well as the customary gobbler. While this tale gets at the way differing culinary customs are applied by Americans of many backgrounds to the Thanksgiving dinner, it fails to acknowledge the mythologygood and badthat surrounds the celebration, making it ultimately as flat as Mitter's crisp, pastel-hued, perspective-free illustrations. Does only half the job. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
On the last day of school before Thanksgiving, Tuyet's teacher, Mrs. Cook, sends her students off with a wish to have a great Turkey Day. At home, Tuyet learns that her Vietnamese American family is serving duck for Thanksgiving, and all during the joyful preparations, as relatives arrive and Tuyet helps with the shopping and plays with her cousins, she worries about what Mrs. Cook would say about a turkey-free Turkey Day. Back at school, Tuyet bravely shares her Thanksgiving story with her classmates and learns that the other kids enjoyed diverse menus, too, with meals of lamb, enchiladas, noodles, and even tofu. Mitter's acrylic illustrations, in clear bright colors and simple shapes, capture the warmth of the holiday bustle and the affection among family members, while reinforcing the meaning in Mrs. Cook's overt, reassuring message: It doesn't matter what you eat on Thanksgiving, as long as you have a good time with family and friends. For more stories about cultural diversity and holiday traditions, pair this with Janet Wong's Apple Pie Fourth of July (2002).--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2009 Booklist
