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Cold Turkey

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The Mitten meets How to Catch a Turkey in this absurd-yet-heartwarming read-aloud that's perfect for Thanksgiving—or anytime you're feeling ch-ch-chilly!
 Turkey woke up c-c-cold.
He wheezed, "It's ten degrees!"
I need to b-b-bundle up,
before I f-f-freeze!"


Sheep is shivering, Chicken is chilly, and Cow is quivering! Lucky for them, bundled-up Turkey is generous and shares his warm clothes with each of his barnyard friends. But once he's down to just his birthday suit, what's a cold turkey to do? (Not to worry—his friends will have him toasty again in no time!)

With rollicking rhythm and giggle-inducing illustrations, this heartwarming story of kindness is sure to be a hit with young readers at Thanksgiving, through snowy winter months, and all year-round!

40 pages, Hardcover

First published November 23, 2021

2 people are currently reading
90 people want to read

About the author

Corey Rosen Schwartz

12 books166 followers
Corey is the author of HOP! PLOP! (Walker, 2006), THE THREE NINJA PIGS (Putnam, 2012) GOLDI ROCKS AND THE THREE BEARS (Putnam, forthcoming) and NINJA RED (Putnam, forthcoming). Corey has no formal ninja training, but she sure can kick butt in Scrabble. She lives with three Knuckleheads in Warren, NJ.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
79 (23%)
4 stars
124 (37%)
3 stars
92 (27%)
2 stars
31 (9%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Profile Image for Darla.
4,873 reviews1,259 followers
January 22, 2022
Once turkey is all bundled up, he goes outside and discovers a Shivering Sheep, a Chilly Chicken, a Huddling Horse, a Quivering Cow, and a Polar Pig. Each animal friend is given a piece of turkey's ensemble until he is one Cold Turkey! The animals build a fire and soon there is a Stewed Sheep, a Baked Chicken, a Hot Horse, a Sizzling Cow, a Roasted Pig, and one Toasty Turkey. The colorful illustrations portray the heartwarming story of friends sharing good times and bad. The rhyming text will make reading aloud lots of fun as will the alliteration. Turkey is my hero!
Profile Image for Jon Nakapalau.
6,536 reviews1,032 followers
September 22, 2023
Putting this book on my Thanksgiving list of books to share. A turkey goes for a walk all bundled up against the cold, but gives his layers of clothes to his friends who are even colder. Nice book about sharing and what it means to be a true friend - and how thankful we should be to have them.
Profile Image for Mid-Continent Public Library.
591 reviews213 followers
Read
January 29, 2022
Once turkey is all bundled up, he goes outside and discovers a Shivering Sheep, a Chilly Chicken, a Huddling Horse, a Quivering Cow, and a Polar Pig. Each animal friend is given a piece of turkey's ensemble until he is one Cold Turkey! The animals build a fire and soon there is a Stewed Sheep, a Baked Chicken, a Hot Horse, a Sizzling Cow, a Roasted Pig, and one Toasty Turkey. The colorful illustrations portray the heartwarming story of friends sharing good times and bad. The rhyming text will make reading aloud lots of fun as will the alliteration. Turkey is my hero!
*Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge*
Profile Image for Amy.
683 reviews36 followers
December 22, 2021
We just got this read in at our library, and it's the cutest! Turkey is so sweet to help his animal friends, and I love the brightly colored illustrations! I think this would be a perfect teaching book in a storytime or elementary classroom, especially when learning about friendship, sequencing of events in a story, and alliteration/word play. I got a lot of laughs out of it!
Profile Image for John of Canada.
1,122 reviews64 followers
January 26, 2024
Today was Reading Buddies at my local library branch. I volunteered to read something by Stephen King to the kids but no deal. Instead , one of the librarians suggested that I read Cold Turkey to my 5 year old friends Karlee and Emily. They seemed to enjoy it and in turn read me two books by Mo Willems. Can I count those as books read?
Profile Image for Amy Oberts.
473 reviews
January 17, 2023
"Cold Turkey" is one of my recently-discovered stories just perfect for winter-themed story times. The delightful, brief rhymes are sure to hold the attention of young listeners/readers, and the subtle message of helping others through sharing offers encouragement. A story sure to warm hearts.

Publication Date: 2021
Format: Picture book
Elements: Bold illustrations; rhyme
Connection/Topics: Animals, weather; giving/sharing; alliteration, onomatopoeia
Profile Image for Diane.
7,288 reviews
February 24, 2022
“I need to b-b-bundle up before I f-f-freeze!”

Turkey dresses for the season with boots, hat, scarf, snow pants and coat, but as he goes out into the world he meets some of his friends who are also really cold. So he loans them (through the pictures) parts of his winter gear until he’s left with nothing but his birthday suit! “I may be getting frostbite, but at least my heart feels warm.” So his friends come together to help Turkey get warm again.

Wordplay abounds!
Profile Image for Charlotte Offsay.
Author 9 books122 followers
August 7, 2021
Turkey bundles up against the storm but can’t help sharing his warm clothes with his frozen barnyard friends until he finds himself in just his birthday suit. Filled with fun word play this brand-new picture book is a brilliant read-aloud with a heartwarming underlying theme of kindness and friendship and a fun twist at the end.
Profile Image for Molly Cluff (Library!).
2,492 reviews50 followers
February 22, 2022
A bundled-up turkey gives out his winter gear to other cold farm animals. Any turkey books are always in demand for storytime. Lots of the animal puns ("cowtastrophe," "udderly insane") may go over the heads of my preschool storytime crowd, but it's good having another option to choose from.
Profile Image for Susie.
1,932 reviews23 followers
December 22, 2021
The first time through, I didn't catch that Turkey was shedding clothes. It's a great message, and the names at the end are clever.
Profile Image for Margaret.
2,803 reviews
Read
December 24, 2021
How did the chicken wake up? It had an alarm cluck.
What do you call a chicken crossing the road? Poultry in motion
Why did the chicken cross the road? To bock traffic!
Why did the turkey cross the road? To prove he wasn't chicken!

Those four questions and answers are only a few in a multitude of fowl hilarity. Chickens and their feathered friends have long been the object of comedy routines, jokes, and tall tales. They've even made it into the world of polka with the famous chicken dance. Be prepared to grin, giggle, and guffaw as you enjoy this trio of titles recently released.

When the temperature drops thirty degrees in twelve hours with wind chills in the teens, it is cold outside. No matter how much winter wear you don, the bitter breeze finds a way to give you the shivers. As you walk from one point to the other, sometimes in place and other times as if a giant hand is pushing you, you wonder if you will ever be warm again. In Cold Turkey (Little, Brown and Company, November 23, 2021) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call with illustrations by Chad Otis, this bird knows that frigid temperatures equals loads of clothes. Will this bird survive wandering in his neighborhood?

My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
Profile Image for Meredith.
4,253 reviews74 followers
December 19, 2023
Following a winter storm, turkey visits the other barnyard animals who have not prepared for the coming winter and distributes his outer wear and warm clothing to them.

This story is a play on the English language idiom "cold turkey."

Initially, I thought this story was going to be a retelling of The Grasshopper & the Ants with the moral idleness brings want, work hard and plan for the future, and/or plan ahead or don't complain if things don't work out. Instead turkey selflessly gives without hope of reward.

Now I have no problem with the idea of giving without having any expectation of being rewarded, but in this case, Turkey does so to his own detriment. He ends up naked and freezing in the snow. This does , so all's well that ends okay, I guess. Personally, I think it is very important to that young people understand that one cannot take care of others if one does not take care of oneself first. So, I didn't like Turkey's martyrdom. He was the only animal who prepared for winter, and other animals took advantage of his kindness.


Profile Image for Mary.
3,646 reviews10 followers
February 15, 2022
It's an extremely cold day and Turkey bundles up in his winter clothes to go for a walk. However, his friends are not as well prepared so Turkey generously gives each of them an article of clothing until he is "cold and bare, in just his birthday suit!" But don't worry about kind-hearted Turkey because his friends find a way to pay him back. A lighthearted rhyming picture book that will be fun to share or act out on a really cold day.
Profile Image for Calista.
5,434 reviews31.3k followers
February 17, 2024
There are some great puns in this story. Nothing really new, but totally cow-tastic!

It's brutally cold and all the animals are cold. Each is suffering from the cold. Turkey is cold, but at least he's bundled up. Turkey is compassionate and shares all its winter garb. Now he is left cold.

This brings the community together.

Seeing the cow cover it's udders it pretty funny. I'm sure kids will enjoy this. Some might chuckle.
599 reviews
November 26, 2022
Cute in theory, but don't think about it too much.
Why is turkey the only animal with clothes?
Why did turkey go outside if it was so cold? He literally says, "It's so cold, I have to bundle up." Then after putting his clothes on, he just goes for a walk in the snow. How does that make sense?
Profile Image for Pam.
9,927 reviews55 followers
January 12, 2022
Turkey bundles for the cold and then shares his warm clothes with the other barnyard friends as they are freezing too. He then becomes cold again and the others take care of him. Clever short dialogue for younger readers. Emphasizes caring for each other.
Profile Image for Liz Todd.
2,189 reviews
January 18, 2022
I've read lots of other books by Corey Rosen Schwartz. I like the plotted stories a little more, but this one was one to slow down for and just giggle about. Not really an ABC book, per se, but so many great opportunities to reinforce the first sound of some words... with a funny little ending.
Profile Image for Janet.
Author 10 books131 followers
May 28, 2022
Another fun rhyming romp with two great authors. Turkey is cold, but not too cold to help out a friend. The pictures go perfectly with the story, and the ending will make you laugh out loud. Super fun!
Profile Image for Anthony.
7,289 reviews31 followers
January 12, 2025
Turkey wakes to a bitterly cold day and bundles up before venturing outside. Turkey piece by piece gives his clothes to other cold animals until he's down to his birthday suit. Fun word play rounds out this humorous tale of sharing and caring.
Profile Image for Catarina.
565 reviews2 followers
March 19, 2025
A fun book that plays on the "cold turkey", but this turkey was more helpful to his friends! The ending was great as they all got to be together. This was a nice book to read because it was easy and fun.
75 reviews
Read
December 3, 2021
Read aloud for before thanksgiving, has great illustrations, and the importance of giving to those in need.
Profile Image for Erin.
2,714 reviews
December 28, 2021
This one is loads of fun. It has clever word play, a lovable and giving main character, thoughtful friends, adorable artwork, great rhymes, and is a perfect read aloud.
Profile Image for Villain E.
4,029 reviews19 followers
January 4, 2022
It's winter on the farm. All of the animals are cold. So turkey shares his clothes with them. Told in rhyme.
Profile Image for Mary.
1,719 reviews18 followers
January 10, 2022
Great picture book for early childhood read aloud. Simple and humorous text, entertaining illustrations.
Tie-in: Thanksgiving.
SEL: Kindness, sharing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews

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