Review: Sharing the Bread

Summary: Celebrate food and family with this heartwarming Thanksgiving picture book. We will share the risen bread. / Our made-with-love Thanksgiving spread. / Grateful to be warm and fed. / We will share the bread. In this spirited ode to the holiday, set at the turn of the twentieth century, a large family works together to make their special meal. Mama prepares the turkey, Daddy tends the fire, Sister kneads, and Brother bastes. Everyone—from Grandma and Grandpa to the littlest baby—has a special job to do. Told in spare, rhythmic verse and lively illustrations, Sharing the Bread is a perfect read-aloud to celebrate the Thanksgiving tradition. -- Schwartz & Wade

You might be surprised to see me reviewing a picture book in the middle of the week, but I just realized that Thanksgiving is exactly two weeks away! I can't believe it's so close, and I think part of the reason is that our weather has been so warm that it doesn't feel like November. Since there are only fourteen more days until Thanksgiving, I wanted to share with you a wonderful book that celebrates the season so you can have time to share it with your kids.

SHARING THE BREAD: AN OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING STORY by Pat Zietlow Miller and Jill McElmurry is just perfect for this time of year. It's a sweet story that celebrates Thanksgiving and family, and it's certain to get you in the mood for the holidays. The story takes place at the turn of the 20th century, and it's absolutely delightful to see the characters' fashions and cooking tools.

The story is told in rhyming text with only a few lines per page which makes it perfect to read-aloud! Everyone in the family contributes to preparing the Thanksgiving meal. Mom fixes the turkey, while sister makes the bread and brother bastes the bird. Even Grandma and Grandpa have special tasks that allow them to contribute to the special meal. The story ends with the entire family sitting at the table and showing thanks for what they have!

There are so many great things about this book, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the gorgeous illustrations. The pictures were the perfect complement to this old-fashioned Thanksgiving story, and they definitely evoke feelings of warmth and comfort. I also loved how the artist incorporated so many textures and patterns into her drawings -- they truly were special.

I loved SHARING THE BREAD! It's such a heartwarming story about the special feelings we share with our family during the holidays. Highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.