OVER THE RIVER

Anderson keeps most of the classic Thanksgiving song’s lyrics, but puts a decided twist on its customary scenario. Here, a family of turkeys in 19th-century dress (the little one clutching a Pilgrim doll) set out for Grandma’s—only to run into a turkey-hunting lad and dog. A wild chase ensues, culminating in a face-off that ends with the precipitate arrival of the horse on the sleigh—actually a sled, but why be picky. Picking themselves up, the chastened animals all repair to Grandma’s for a Thanksgiving feast of the vegetarian sort. The boy is left out in the woods, which seems mean-spirited, but young readers will be so captivated by the fracas in Anderson’s big, exuberant cartoons, they might not even notice. Musical arrangement, with full lyrics, on the endpapers. (Picture book. 6-8)