Books with title Thanks for Thanksgiving Book and Audiocassette Tape Set

Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks -- the question is, where to begin? From the turkey on the table to warm, cozy cuddles, life is full of small things and bigger pleasures. But what is most important is being able to share them with family! Julie Markes reminds children and adults alike about the little details that make each day enjoyable, while Doris Barrette's beautiful and striking illustrations bring her thoughtful words to life.

Charles Fuge, the acclaimed artist of I Know a Rhino, Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball, and It's a Monster Party, is back with another winner that's sure to become a favorite with kids-and their parents. Not only does it have the cutest illustrations ever, but the story is one dear to children's hearts: the importance of a loving, protective father. A cuddly little bear has a tale to tell about his dad, "the roughest, toughest, biggest, strongest dad in the whole jungle." The real fun is in the illustrations of cute cubs marching behind and listening- and running off one by one in fear as they hear that Daddy has teeth sharper than an alligator, more claws than an eagle, and can roar as loud as a lion. But when the little bear finds himself alone and gets scared, it's Papa who comes to save the day. The final illustration -with Daddy carrying his smiling cub, will warm any heart.

The author and the illustrator of Bugs! and Skunks! present another hilarious book with a slapstick rhyme, this one about snakes taking over a small boy's world. The creepy creatures start off as a heap under his bed; then they slink down the stairs, shimmy up the walls, hide, and jump out of books and cabinets. Words and pictures wallow in the shudders. Maybe snakes do have some uses: as garden hoses, for cleaning ears, as nifty stethoscopes. But just as the boy is getting used to the invaders, he opens up the shutter to find a huge glaring eye, and then a great, terrifying boa squishes him in its coils. Is that final close-up a capture or an embrace? Munsinger's ink-and-watercolor images extend the silliness. They are packed with nonsense detail and yet clear and accessible for preschoolers, who will recognize the creepy delight of slimy monsters hissing in their ears.

This eye-catching picture book transports readers to a tropical rain forest. Smoothly incorporating a great deal of information, the text follows creatures such as a sloth, capuchin monkeys, and a poison-dart frog as they move through their habitat. Guiberson conveys the relationships among different animals by describing their activities at various times of day. Small dramas such as a squabble over nest space reveal the continual change and movement in this environment. Effective use of onomatopoeia further enhances the narrative with forest sounds. Jenkins uses his signature collage style to bring this realm alive for viewers. Although his humans seem a bit stiff, they are minor figures in the overall portrayal of the lush, green world. Even collections with several volumes about rain forests will want this introduction.

Ford and Braun get it just right in a book for young children who, like the characters here, are also experiencing their first snow. A gray, misty two-page spread marked by bare trees matches the first words: "It is dark--a winter's night. / The moon is bright, barely there behind a lazy haze of gray." On the next pages the palette turns a wintry purple as the snowflakes fall. Burrowed under the snow are Bunny and his siblings, nestled next to their mother, dreaming of grass. But Bunny awakes and goes outside to sniff the air, and the snow entices him. Then his brothers and sisters come out to explore the snow and "watch the nighttime." Squirrels gather pinecones; a wolf prowls. In the distance are houses: "Smoke and smells curl up and out" of the chimneys." Children play, and the bunnies follow suit, stumbling and tumbling in the snow. Ford's artful text is both fluid and evocative, yet it's right at a child's level in both word choice and premise. The rabbits have a stuffed-animal look, but the landscapes are so lovely that the whole book is elevated. Let little ones experience what it's like to be out in the wide, white expanse of a starry, starry night.

This jolly picture book should prove the perfect elixir for young readers with a case of doctor-itis. Driving his big red van, Dr. Duck makes forest-, barnyard- and pasture-calls to treat his menagerie of patients, prescribing such remedies as "Cough syrup for a sheep/ Who had a bad flu/ Pink pills for a cow/ Too hoarse to moo" (dialogue balloons within the art show the duck telling the sheep, "This will do for the flu" and reassuring the cow, "Take two and you'll moo!"). But when Dr. Duck finds himself laid up with a terrible fever, who will care for him? Luckily his grateful patients come to the rescue and Dr. Duck is soon fit as a fiddle. In jaunty and sweet-natured rhymes, Ehrlich (who appears to be Harriet Ziefert, writing under a pseudonym) clearly expresses the rewards Dr. Duck reaps in his caring profession. Rader's pry and sunny watercolors capture a compassionate and friendly animal community at its best. Satisfied kids will soon attest that Dr. Duck is no quack.

A delightful depiction of a universal bedtime routine, told with warmth and humor. When a baby raccoon asks her imaginative father for a simple kiss at bedtime, she finds herself on the receiving end of a string of silly smooches. When Dad plants the lightest butterfly kiss on Lisa's cheek, the pair become surrounded by a lush forest filled with blue-shaded, bamboo-style trees and periwinkle butterflies. A circus kiss calls for a little horseplay under a yellow-striped tent, as Lisa's stuffed-animal friends practice their trapeze swinging. Ten Cate's bright and appealing illustrations perfectly complement Roep's loving text and artfully capture the endearing bond between father and daughter. The result is a gentle, inventive bedtime story that will coax giggles from both the reader and the "read-to." Better still, there's a built-in opportunity here for parents and their children to pucker up and invent their own special nighttime rituals.

Hugs are for "a cold winter day / to chase monsters away . . . for getting so tall / for no reason at all." This tender story explores the many reasons for a duckling to receive a hug during a day spent with friends, including a mouse, a dragonfly, a ladybug, a fish, and a caterpillar. However, the last hug is the best -- the one that the duckling gives its parent. Significantly refreshing is the unknown gender of both. The rhythmic text is set in large print against the soft pastels and white background of the pictures. Winter's illustrations provide a warm and flowing connection to the words, creating an experience that children are certain to enjoy.