Memorial Day Surprise

by Theresa Martin Golding, Alexandra Artigas (Illustrator)

It's Memorial Day and Marco and Mama are going to see the parade. On their way, they pass Marco's grandfather's house. They usually stop to see Grandfather, but today Mama is in a rush because she has promised Marco a surprise.

Marco can't imagine what the surprise might be. Could it be the marching band? The fire engines? The candy tossed to the crowd by a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty? Mama promises that it will be a better surprise than candy. As the parade goes by, Marco wishes his grandfather were with him to enjoy it.

Then, marching down the street, come the veterans, wearing uniforms and shiny medals. But look! Who is that leading them? Marco never imagined the kind of surprise in store for him.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Kim M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. It was good, but a little to long for preschool story time. I had a difficult time finding good picture books for Memorial Day Preschool Story Time.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book doesn't talk at all about or explain the meaning of memorial day and feels much more like it should be called "Veteran's Day Surprise".

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marco and his Mama attend a Memorial Day parade where Marco learns about the holiday and rejoices in seeing the role his grandfather plays in the parade.

A good read aloud about this important American holiday, especially one worth pairing with a nonfiction book that covers history and celebration rituals for a juvenile audience.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simple story that encourages discussion about Memorial Day and personalizes the honor we give to Veterans on that day. It's a good book to read when teaching children about the meaning of the holiday.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first picture book to make me tear up in a very long time. If you have anyone in your family who has served in the military, I would especially recommend this book to read to your little children.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is nice but has a a major flaw - it doesn't every talk about the purpose of memorial day, which is to honor service men and women who died in wars. The connection the boy feels to his hero grandpa is sweet and the surprise leading up the end captures a child's attention. The candy, fire truck, and marching band help build excitement to the final reveal. Emphasizing the family connection and love for grandparents creates a happy feeling for the end of the book.

[Christine Turner]

Summary
It's Memorial Day and Marco and Mama are going to see the parade. On their way, they pass Marco's grandfather's house. They usually stop to see Grandfather, but today Mama is in a rush because she has promised Marco a surprise. Marco can't imagine what the surprise might be. Could it be the marching band? The fire engines? The candy tossed to the crowd by a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty? Mama promises that it will be a better surprise than candy. As the parade goes by, Marco wishes his grandfather were with him to enjoy it. Then, marching down the street, come the veterans, wearing uniforms and shiny medals. But look! Who is that leading them? Marco never imagined the kind of surprise in store for him


Subject: Grandfathers -- Juvenile fiction
Memorial Day -- Juvenile fiction.
Veterans -- Juvenile fiction.
Grandfathers -- Fiction
Memorial Day -- Fiction.
Veterans -- Fiction