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The Night Before Thanksgiving
Gobble Gobble! It's turkey time! Thanksgiving is yet another big moment to be celebrated in Natasha Wing's best-selling series.
Everyone’s favorite fun-filled, family-filled, food-filled holiday is almost here! Follow along as the feast is prepared, cousins are greeted, and everyone gathers around the table, all with an extra helping of holiday fun. This family fun read-aloud makes the perfect gift to get young readers excited for this festive fall holiday!
Everyone’s favorite fun-filled, family-filled, food-filled holiday is almost here! Follow along as the feast is prepared, cousins are greeted, and everyone gathers around the table, all with an extra helping of holiday fun. This family fun read-aloud makes the perfect gift to get young readers excited for this festive fall holiday!
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2001
18 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
About the author
Natasha Wing
71 books136 followersWhy am I a writer? When I was a young girl, I wanted to be a teacher. I’d line up my stuffed animals in front of a board and teach them the alphabet and how to count. In high school I wanted to be a tennis player. I was on the tennis team, and played at our neighborhood tennis club. Then in college I thought digging dinosaur bones would be a cool job. It wasn’t until I was working at my own public relations agency that I decided I really wanted to write children’s books. I was so inspired by the magic of reading a book that I wanted to see if my active imagination could create magical moments for kids all over the world. I started to write, then sent my stories to publishers, and sold my first manuscript in 1992. I’ve been writing ever since.
Why I write now.
I love the freedom of being my own boss, of coming up with ideas on my own and writing that first draft to see if my idea has any spark. I’m not so crazy about the revising process although there are thrilling moments when I figure out a better way to say something, or when I nail dialog, or work through a complicated plot line. The most exciting moment is when an editor says they want to publish my manuscript. Then I know all my hard work has paid off, and that soon, children will enter my imaginative world through a book.
Why I write now.
I love the freedom of being my own boss, of coming up with ideas on my own and writing that first draft to see if my idea has any spark. I’m not so crazy about the revising process although there are thrilling moments when I figure out a better way to say something, or when I nail dialog, or work through a complicated plot line. The most exciting moment is when an editor says they want to publish my manuscript. Then I know all my hard work has paid off, and that soon, children will enter my imaginative world through a book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
November 15, 2017
A Thanksgiving poem in Ode to 'Twas the Night before Christmas. The kids loved this book.
The art is simple and gets the job done. I enjoyed the rhyme. It was fun.
The art is simple and gets the job done. I enjoyed the rhyme. It was fun.
October 11, 2021
The Night Before Thanksgiving is a children's picture book written by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Tammie Speer Lyon. It is a book about a family getting ready for Thanksgiving. As today is the day before (Canadian) Thanksgiving, I thought reading this book would be apropos.
Wing's text is simplistic and lyrical. It is written in the style of "The Night Before Christmas". The poem was written especially well and follows the rhythm and style of the original poem extremely well. Lyon's illustrations are wonderfully depicted, albeit a tad cartoonish, but represented the text and tone rather well.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It is the day before Thanksgiving and a family gets ready for the day. The very next day, they welcome their extended family with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and many cousins as they come together and feast.
All in all, The Night Before Thanksgiving is a wonderful children's book done in the style of "The Night Before Christmas". It is a story about a family getting ready for Thanksgiving and shows how chaotic and crazy things could get when family gets together, but in the end, always thankful.
Wing's text is simplistic and lyrical. It is written in the style of "The Night Before Christmas". The poem was written especially well and follows the rhythm and style of the original poem extremely well. Lyon's illustrations are wonderfully depicted, albeit a tad cartoonish, but represented the text and tone rather well.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It is the day before Thanksgiving and a family gets ready for the day. The very next day, they welcome their extended family with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and many cousins as they come together and feast.
All in all, The Night Before Thanksgiving is a wonderful children's book done in the style of "The Night Before Christmas". It is a story about a family getting ready for Thanksgiving and shows how chaotic and crazy things could get when family gets together, but in the end, always thankful.
December 21, 2020
Such a sweet book and the family is so heart warming feeling celebrating Thanksgiving together and everyone coming ... I love every celebration and the left over after Thanksgiving is soooo delicious
March 13, 2016
I have a string of Thanksgiving books that I read to my daughter and my second graders. These will be quick reviews based on the reactions of my daughter and students. I put the date the same for each book, but I really read them in the week leading up to Thanksgiving, and on Thanksgiving Day. Under the how many times I've read it category, that will be how many Thanksgivings I've used this book.
This is nice. Just nice. Not fabulous. I use it at home, but not really at school. It's in the pile of books for kids to read, but I don't use it as a read aloud.
This is nice. Just nice. Not fabulous. I use it at home, but not really at school. It's in the pile of books for kids to read, but I don't use it as a read aloud.
November 30, 2020
This is the best in the series that I’ve read so far. The wording is unique and the ideas creative. I really enjoyed reading this. It was perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday and mostly had traditions we can all relate to.
It's always been a problem for me when she copies verbatim the words from the original poem, but sometimes you can't get away from it. The kids were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of turkey legs danced in their heads.
She mentioned watching the parade on TV, and relatives coming by all these methods of travel. There was even the kid's table and we all know about that! I liked that they set the table with patience and care. I LOVED how instead of calling the reindeer by name, she had the kid call her cousins by name.
"Hi Danny! Hi Donny! Hi Paula and Vickie! Hi Casey! Hi Cathy! Hi Brenda and Ricky!" And told them to come and play all.
The cousins flew up to her room and played with her toys. Her uncle called to say he was stuck in a storm. The kids played ball and asked "Can we eat yet?"
"When what to our watering mouths should appear, but a marvelous bird which caused us to cheer." Too close to the original for my liking but I overlooked it because she made it different where she could.
"Its skin--oh so golden! The drumsticks--so juicy!" I liked how she described the turkey in place of Santa.
The dad tripped over the dog and the turkey went flying but the kids caught it. Not very realistic and I could have done without that accident. Also, they made such a clatter and caught it on the platter. Clatter should have been swapped and more original wording used because they didn't have to make a clatter.
The only thing I couldn't relate to was the girl and her brother sticking olives on their fingers and pretending they were puppets and grand opera singers. That was random and not something I've ever done. I wish another Thanksgiving tradition had been thought of instead.
I liked how the cousin arrived like Santa. "With a wink of his eye, and a twist of his head, "The party can start! I made it!" Norm said."
I really liked the line "We're thankful that everyone is together this year, In our home, and our hearts, where we hold you so dear." A nice family, togetherness theme.
They ate and they ate, and the next day was a leftovers feast. Can't have Thanksgiving without the leftovers!
I thought she hit all the Thanksgiving stops and it was so heartwarming and such a good celebration of the holiday.
It's always been a problem for me when she copies verbatim the words from the original poem, but sometimes you can't get away from it. The kids were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of turkey legs danced in their heads.
She mentioned watching the parade on TV, and relatives coming by all these methods of travel. There was even the kid's table and we all know about that! I liked that they set the table with patience and care. I LOVED how instead of calling the reindeer by name, she had the kid call her cousins by name.
"Hi Danny! Hi Donny! Hi Paula and Vickie! Hi Casey! Hi Cathy! Hi Brenda and Ricky!" And told them to come and play all.
The cousins flew up to her room and played with her toys. Her uncle called to say he was stuck in a storm. The kids played ball and asked "Can we eat yet?"
"When what to our watering mouths should appear, but a marvelous bird which caused us to cheer." Too close to the original for my liking but I overlooked it because she made it different where she could.
"Its skin--oh so golden! The drumsticks--so juicy!" I liked how she described the turkey in place of Santa.
The dad tripped over the dog and the turkey went flying but the kids caught it. Not very realistic and I could have done without that accident. Also, they made such a clatter and caught it on the platter. Clatter should have been swapped and more original wording used because they didn't have to make a clatter.
The only thing I couldn't relate to was the girl and her brother sticking olives on their fingers and pretending they were puppets and grand opera singers. That was random and not something I've ever done. I wish another Thanksgiving tradition had been thought of instead.
I liked how the cousin arrived like Santa. "With a wink of his eye, and a twist of his head, "The party can start! I made it!" Norm said."
I really liked the line "We're thankful that everyone is together this year, In our home, and our hearts, where we hold you so dear." A nice family, togetherness theme.
They ate and they ate, and the next day was a leftovers feast. Can't have Thanksgiving without the leftovers!
I thought she hit all the Thanksgiving stops and it was so heartwarming and such a good celebration of the holiday.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2023
Natasha Wing, a former Humboldt County author, has written several The Night Before... books. The Night Before Thanksgiving written by Wing and illustrated by Tammie Lyon is perfect for sharing with youngsters at this time of year.
As the title states, this story begins on the night before Thanksgiving. Baking, planning for family, and then visions of dancing drumsticks as the children sleep are told about it rhyme. The story continues right on through Thanksgiving and ends with one of the best things about Thanksgiving; leftovers!
The illustrations of this book perfectly capture the feel and excitement of Thanksgiving day. The story is just the right length for listening to on Thanksgiving Eve and the text is simple enough that beginning readers will enjoy reading it on their own. The family in this book is the traditional family that watches Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on tv and has a separate table for the children. Even if your family's Thanksgiving isn't as traditional as the one in this book, it's worth reading for learning how others celebrate a truly American holiday.
As the title states, this story begins on the night before Thanksgiving. Baking, planning for family, and then visions of dancing drumsticks as the children sleep are told about it rhyme. The story continues right on through Thanksgiving and ends with one of the best things about Thanksgiving; leftovers!
The illustrations of this book perfectly capture the feel and excitement of Thanksgiving day. The story is just the right length for listening to on Thanksgiving Eve and the text is simple enough that beginning readers will enjoy reading it on their own. The family in this book is the traditional family that watches Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on tv and has a separate table for the children. Even if your family's Thanksgiving isn't as traditional as the one in this book, it's worth reading for learning how others celebrate a truly American holiday.
November 4, 2022
A sweet twist on the classic Christmas poem and one that should be read ever year as a family!
Ages: 4 -8
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
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Ages: 4 -8
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
January 16, 2016
We are big fans of this series! Each one contains a fun twist on the popular classic Twas the Night Before Christmas. Wing has such an amazing talent for coming up with clever rhymes that smoothly flow from one page to the next. This book covers all of the Thanksgiving traditions: preparation of favorite foods, parade watching, excitement over family arriving, mishaps that always happen on a holiday and of course the enjoyment of leftovers the next day. The illustrations are super fun to look at and the story always makes my daughter giggle, especially the part about the vision of drumsticks dancing in the kid's heads. We found this book last year and it will continue to be on our Thanksgiving to read list for many yeas to come.
November 13, 2009
This homage to Clement Clarke Moore's classic Christmas poem, "Twas The Night Before Christmas," is told from a child's vantage. And while it is both humorous and playful, the rhyme and meter is consistently stilted throughout, with either missed or extra syllables. This make the reading quite uncomfortable, and I found myself correcting the versification to make it read properly. It's a shame, because one could hardly find a better example of iambic poetry than this poem's eponym. With some careful editorial supervision, this book could have been much better.
November 2, 2011
Clever and cute. I am really enjoying all the Thanksgiving themed children's books. I hadn't realized there are so many. I will have fun collecting and reading them each November to my daughter.
Here are some of the clever lines: "Dad slid out the bird. (It weighed 30 pounds.) He turned, then he tripped over one of our hounds. Up in the air the turkey did fly! Over the string beans and straight for a pie!"
I will leave a little cliffhanger for you.;)
Here are some of the clever lines: "Dad slid out the bird. (It weighed 30 pounds.) He turned, then he tripped over one of our hounds. Up in the air the turkey did fly! Over the string beans and straight for a pie!"
I will leave a little cliffhanger for you.;)
December 4, 2012
Notes: The Night Before Thanksgiving, by Natasha Wing is a good book to read around Thanksgiving.
Book Review: Wing goes off the orginal version of, The Night Before Christmas but this version is all about Thanksgiving. It talks about getting ready for the party by getting the food ready, people arriving, and then eating. Students would really enjoy the pictures.
Recommend: I would recommend this book to students in grades K-3 and I would do it around Thankgiving.
Book Review: Wing goes off the orginal version of, The Night Before Christmas but this version is all about Thanksgiving. It talks about getting ready for the party by getting the food ready, people arriving, and then eating. Students would really enjoy the pictures.
Recommend: I would recommend this book to students in grades K-3 and I would do it around Thankgiving.
November 10, 2015
We have a lot of "the night before" children's books (Easter, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, first day of kindergarten, and our favorite, the night before the night before Christmas) and they're great. They're done by different authors and illustrators, but I believe they're all published by Scholastic. This one is a lot of fun, with very detailed and lively pictures, funny rhymes, and an overall great sense of humor.
March 30, 2015
I like holiday themed books because then it is easy to select a book when reading to a child(s). It is a great book of how some families celebrate thanksgiving in a nice positive and happy day. This book is about one specific family, however it is great to let students be excited or motivated to help their parents bake a cake and such in the kitchen.
March 21, 2012
This books is a version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." It's a very creative way to think about the holiday and traditions of Thanksgiving. The rhyme of the story also really interest the students.
November 28, 2013
It's a fun read for the kindergarteners on Thanksgiving Eve. We read it at the end of the day for a time-filler, not really using it in a lesson or anything. Just for fun, and they loved it! They especially liked the dancing drumsticks dream page.
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December 1, 2013I enjoyed reading this book to my students because it is about how much fun families have together. The book is easy, understandable, and has rhymes that help students to read. The story describe all the work that families do together to have the big dinner and the role of the family members.
November 21, 2015
What a fun take on "Twas the Night Before Christmas," but this one using the Thanksgiving holiday. Sweet nostalgia for me with some of these parts. Will definitely have out on display for storytime, but maybe I'll give it a go for reading.
November 26, 2016
This was a cute twist on the 'old' traditional 'Twas the Night before Christmas... This author takes the same style and writes it according to getting ready for Thanksgiving. Text and illustrations were nice.
December 16, 2008
Tells of Thanksgiving with the rhythm of Twas the Night Before Christmas. Cute to teach about Thanksgiving with relatives.
March 27, 2009
Very cute book for Thanksgiving, patterned after The Night Before Christmas...good trade book to do a Thanksgiving activity with
September 19, 2009
Fun, flowing, rhyming picture book all about Thanksgiving that kids will love to hear over and over!
February 9, 2011
Cute story. Rhymes were awkward at times. Still, there are few really great Thanksgiving books that this is still one of the better ones.
November 18, 2012
Depicts a very traditional Thanksgiving with mom preparing the food, dad serving it, and lots of cousins!
November 23, 2012
My daughter loves this entire series!
November 24, 2012
Captured Maren's attention. The rhymes aren't perfect but it kinda works.
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December 16, 2013AR Quiz No. 104992 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 3.1 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 3.1 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP
November 30, 2014
I used this book to teach a lesson to a second grade class and they absolutely loved it!! It is so cute and fun and creative!!! I would definitely recommend this book!!!
November 16, 2015
Set to the tune of Twas the Night Before Christmas with some similar phrasing throughout. Kindergarten loves this book!
November 24, 2015
Cute holiday book just right to introduce how Thanksgiving is celebrated - just missing the Turkey Trot and watching football!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews