PICK OF THE LITERATURE
— by Dr. Donna Phillips
A
s we wave goodbye to sum-
mer and move deeper into
fall, the events of autumn
make it easier and easier to let go of the
season of sunshine. Fall is the time for us,
and all of nature, to release the busy-ness
and recover from the frantic pace and the
frenetic growth that has taken place over
the summer months. It’s time to move
into a slower rhythm, to store and savor
the events of the past summer.
All of these stored memories and
experiences will help to hold us over the
coming winter months of cold, cozy, quiet
and recovery. Whether we are reflecting
on the summer past or the holiday events
to come, it is the time when we make a
concerted effort to take stock of the bless-
ings that have been bestowed upon us
over the past year. As we head toward
Thanksgiving, the gathering quiet time of
fall is perfect to spend time with a good
book in a comfy spot.
There is no
better way to get
into the fall spirit
than jumping into
a pile of leaves
and Marc Brown’s
reissued
Ar-
thur Jumps into
Fall
(Cartwheel
Books, New York,
2006/2018, $4.99)
is the perfect book
to get the whole
family involved. How many times have
you been asked as a child to rake leaves,
but have no one to help you? Arthur has
the same lonely problem… that is until
his friends show up! Before he knows it,
they are all raking and carrying leaves to
make a great big pile — and just in time.
Time for all of them to celebrate their great
teamwork… by jumping on it! Perhaps this
might inspire you to do this fall chore with
22 WNY Family November 2018
your children, by promising them if they
rake with you, you will jump in with them!
Does it seem that once all of the
excitement of Hal-
loween is over we
slip quietly into
the
Thanksgiving
mood? Sometimes
it is the left-over
Halloween
candy
that helps us keep
this energy going
until the last piece
is gone. If you are
someone who just
can’t let go of Halloween, then you and
your family might enjoy Fangsgiving
(Bloomsbury, New York, 2018, $16.99),
written and illustrated by Ethan Long.
Everything is going wonderfully for Vlad
and his friends as they prepare for their
Thanksgiving feast together. That is, until
his family shows up…
The
once
perfect
Thanksgiving dishes become
hijacked as the relatives take
over, adding their finishing
touches. Mashed potatoes
with garlic is the last dish a
vampire would want, so his
aunt makes a new batch com-
plete with eyeballs and ear-
wax! His cousins add their
own touches to the pumpkin
pie; his uncle thinks they
should cook the turkey by
electrocuting it; and of course, snail spit
makes everything taste better, according
to his aunt. Nothing seems to be going
right until the lights all go out and they
hear a loud crunching sound!
This left over Halloween trick turns
into a treat at the end of this book, but
you will have to read it for yourself. This
might be a perfect book to share with the
whole family on Thanksgiving Day. It
may even make you more thankful for
your family and for your dinner!
Who doesn’t start singing Over the
River and Through the Woods around
this time of year when the leaves fall and
the first snowflakes come from the sky?
Emma Randall has given us her illustrated
version of Over the River and Through
the Woods (Penguin Workshop, New
York, 2018, $16.99) in this sturdy book
perfect for sharing and singing along. As
we travel across the fields, over the river,
and through the woods, we meet all kinds
of woodland creatures busy with their fall
activities. Her cartoon-like characters are
welcoming as we travel all the way to
grandma’s house, where
she and grandpa greet us
at the door. In the end, all
sit down at the table (in-
cluding the animals we
met along the way) to cel-
ebrate Thanksgiving din-
ner together.
As you gather togeth-
er with family and friends,
or reach out across the
miles to them, allow
yourself to savor this time of year and
the blessings it has bestowed upon you.
Remember to look for the little day-to-
day details that have added up over time.
These things, and family and friends lost
and found, are all part of the tapestry of
your life. Celebrate it with good company,
good food, good times, and good books!
Dr. Donna Phillips is an associate profes-
sor in the College of Education of Niag-
ara University, where her specialty is lit-
eracy and children’s literature. She lives
on Grand Island, NY and is the mother of
two adult children.