THE CAN-DO THANKSGIVING

A feel-good title that nearly collapses under the weight of its sincerity. Dee is curious to know the destination of a can of peas she has bought and donated to her school’s Thanksgiving food drive. She appends a note to the can, giving her name and the school address; the shelter that receives her peas contacts the school and welcomes the class over to help with the Thanksgiving dinner. Dee’s classmates volunteer to work at the shelter, where merriment rules, every race and creed is represented, and Dee makes friends with a boy who, like her, wears glasses. The story is driven by good intentions rather than character and plot; Cote’s amiable illustrations feature a multicultural cast, but also gloss over and further trivialize the problems of the homeless and the hungry. (Picture book. 5-9)