Publisher's Weekly Review
"We're two mighty pilgrims/ coming your way./ Looking for a turkey/ for Thanksgiving Day" goes the refrain of Turkey Surprise by Peggy Archer, illus. by Thor Wickstrom. The "mighty pilgrims" in this paper-over-board tale are brothers who'd rather not harm the bird, so they bring home a pumpkin instead. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Two pilgrim brothers, the older with a slingshot and the younger with a spyglass, hunt for a Thanksgiving turkey. The younger brother spies a tom, but feeling sorry for it, diverts his brother's attention while the turkey finds different hiding spots. They arrive home with a giant pumpkin instead. Humorous cartoons illustrate this predictable but pleasant story. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Two pilgrim brothers set off to hunt up a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. "We'll pluck him, and stuff him, / and cook him up right. / We'll gobble, gobble turkey / for dinner tonight!" Their song forms a refrain throughout, but the smaller pilgrim brother begins to have second thoughts. He most certainly sees a terrified turkey a number of times, but he always leads his brother in another direction. Meanwhile, Turkey tries hiding in a tree, a gopher hole and a pond--with disastrous results. Then small pilgrim brother helps Turkey hide in a woodpile, and the two boys take home a huge pumpkin for dinner instead. Vegetarian storytellers now have an excellent companion to Dav Pilkey's Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving (1990) for their cruelty-free holiday storytimes. Wickstrom's high-spirited hunting brothers and the most expressive turkey in recent memory are a perfect match for Archer's sweet hide-and-seek story. Even the most carnivorous listeners will enjoy this yummy addition to any collection. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
PreS-K. Here's a Thanksgiving picture book for vegetarians. Two Pilgrim brothers hunting for a Thanksgiving turkey sing a rhyming chant (We'll pluck him and stuff him, / and cook him up right ). The cheerful line-and-watercolor pictures show the turkey hiding from the hunters--in a tree, a gopher hole, a pond, and a woodpile. The littlest Pilgrim isn't sure he wants to pluck out the turkey's feathers, stuff the bird with breadcrumbs, and cook it, and he eventually persuades the bigger Pilgrim that there are more delicious things than turkey to bring home for the feast. Hunters and hunted are treated with a light touch, and kids will identify with the turkey as well as with the small Pilgrim, who changes his companion and turns things around. The final spread says it all, showing the family enjoying a delicious feast as the turkey peers through the window. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2005 Booklist