Happy Thanksgiving

From Feast for 10,published in 1991 by Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin.

Wishing all who might find themselves visiting here a very Happy Thanksgiving!

The Case of the Missing Carrot

Book cover, Feast For 10

Zane's letter and drawing

Page from hardcover edition

Board Book

Close-up of corner

A letter from a child came in the mail today. I'd wouldn't go so far as to say it was a complaint letter, but it wasn't exactly fan mail, either. It should probably be classified as a quality control query. "Where is the seventh carrot?" Zane, the letter's author, wants to know. A very fair question. I wondered this myself when my picture book, Feast for 10, was published as a board book. When the art was converted from the rectangular format of the hardcover and softcover editions to the more squarish board book format, a few things got trimmed....like carrots, for example. Very sad indeed, especially since this is a COUNTING book. So--I'm very sorry, Zane. The seventh carrot is actually there---but only a tiny bit of it shows. And I'm very impressed that you noticed! You must be an excellent counter. So Happy Counting, and Happy Reading!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

"I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits"

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Portland, Maine, branch of the NAACP will hold their annual MLK celebration breakfast on Monday, Jan.18th. Click HERE for more information and to make reservations. The keynote speaker is the dynamic and wonderful Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell! Concurrently, there will be two programs for youth. Anne Sibley O'Brien will present a terrific interactive program for kids 9-12. Her book, After Gandhi, will be the springboard for group brainstorming, poster-making, and plans for an exciting service project. And for kids 4 - 8, I will be running an activity-filled program based on my book, Feast for 10. Various activity stations will engage children in games, arts & crafts, and active play with a focus on healthy bodies & healthy minds. We'll have Fruits & Veggies Bingo, jump roping, collage-making, bean-bag tosses, a garden mural, story time and more.

Here are some of the games I've been making for this event!

A large board game, a bean-bag toss board, and a Fruits & Veggies version of an old 60's floor game.

All attendees (both programs) will receive a free book.

For more information,

call the amazing Pious Ali at 207-807-4283.

Time to Gather

Happy Thanksgiving!

A couple of ideas:

* In addition to the contributions that your family and guests bring to your feast, ask them to also bring a contribution for your local food bank. Bag up the non-perishables and can goods, and drop them off next week to help replenish supplies.

* Feast on reading! To settle down after the holiday festivities, gather the young and young-at-heart for story time. Drag out old favorites and new additions and take turns reading picture books aloud.

Enjoy the season of Hope and Peace.

Cover: Feast For 10, Clarion Books, 1993