MILLIE AND THE MACY’S PARADE

This lusciously illustrated tale of how the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may have originated features a young Milly, whose immigrant father is saddened at the prospect of spending holidays in America. He and the other workers on the delivery dock agree: they all miss home and familiar customs, like marching through the streets, playing music, and caroling. Suddenly, Milly is seized with an idea, and brashly barges into Mr. Macy’s office to tell him about it: if the workers aren’t feeling very festive, why not cheer them up with a parade? Powerful Mr. Macy thinks a parade is a terrific idea, the word spreads among Follies girls and Rockefellers, and a favorite tradition is born, complete with animals from Central Park Zoo and polka bands. The stylized people, with narrow faces, pointy noses, overly large eyes, and sharp-looking fingers, are not picture-book pretty; but the large format, borders in rich maroon, and deep colors of the acrylic and oil illustrations convey a sense of luxury associated with Macy’s. Of course, this is not actually how the parade was conceived, but the story is fun, and readers can compare the imagined version with the historical note at the end. (Picture book. 4-8)