The Pilgrims at Plymouth

by Lucille Recht Penner, S.D. Schindler (Illustrator)

Life on the Mayflower was harsh. When the Pilgrims reached America, things got even worse. More than half the Pilgrims died the first winter. Luckily, the Pilgrims made friends with the Indians who lived nearby. Thanks to the Indians, the Pilgrims set up the first successful American colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, American History, Thanksgiving

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Lucille Recht Penner is the author of many nonfiction books for kids, including Dinosaur Babies and Monster Bugs in Random House’s Step into Reading program. She lives in Tucson, AZ.

Reviews

[Educator Barnes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book. Here are a few parts below that I specifically did not like. You can't discover a place where people were living their best lives until you arrived. The Patuxet Indians deserved to be covered with more context. I guess the plague came from nowhere (please note sarcasm). Remarkable is not a word I associate with Pilgrims.

p.2 "Christopher Columbus had discovered America more than a hundred years before"
p. 16 chapter title is "Wild Beasts and Wild Men"
p. 26 "The Indians who had lived at Plymouth - the Patuxet Indians--had almost been killed a few years ago by a terrible plague."
p. 36 "Today--at Thanksgiving time--we still tell and retell the story of the remarkable band of Pilgrims who left their homes and crossed the ocean to plant the seeds of a new world."

[Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pictures, covers main events and details, organized by topic as well as timeline. Nicely done for late elementary school level. Better than other children’s books I have read on this subject.

[Amy Bodkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good picture book version of the larger Landmark book!

[Ruppert Baird · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book I read years ago in elementary school, it would be years later that I would fully understand the complete history of Plymouth Colony.
Nevertheless, Plymouth Colony is rightly considered to be the true beginnings of what would become the United States, and while much history is barely skimmed over in this book, it is still a fine introduction to a group of people desperate for a new beginning and who would pay a dear price in the early years in their desire to find freedom from tyranny.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great historical story about pilgrims with charts, maps and historical pictures.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macaulay-esque illustrations and well-done, yet fun, text.

[Heather Edrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of the Pilgrims and how they spent their first years in Plymouth. This is a very good book with good pictures.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 7 year old loved this book. It's very informative and child-friendly. It has great pictures too.