THIS IS THE FEAST

A modified “House that Jack Built” rhythm follows the Pilgrims as they make their way “to freedom through wind and through wave / across the Atlantic, so far and so wide,” huddle near “the hearth, soothing the soul, / as death and disease take a terrible toll,” plant “the fields, stubbled, unclaimed, / cleared by Patxuets before the plague came” and celebrate their first Thanksgiving. Shore packs a lot into the verse, which leaves out some information (what plague?) but conveys more of the nuance of the story than is often presented to young readers. Lloyd’s primitive-inspired paintings effectively complement both verse and tale. (Picture book. 4-8)