Recently I had the pleasure of meeting author Jacqueline Jules at a D.C. Kidlit Book Club meeting. I was happy to learn that she had just published a multicultural picture book about food, Duck for Turkey Day (Albert Whitman, 2009). Naturally, I donned my largest bib after requesting a review copy.
Young Tuyet is worried about Thanksgiving because her family will be having duck for dinner instead of turkey. At school, the talk was all about Pilgrims, Native Americans, and turkey turkey turkey. Her mother seemed set on cooking duck, while her grandmother, who was visiting from New York just for the holiday, reminded her that they would be using her spicy duck recipe from Vietnam.
Thanksgiving morning, good smells filled the house, and that afternoon, Tuyet was excited at the arrival of her aunt, uncle, and cousins. But when she told them about the duck, even they were happy and excited with the menu. Didn’t anyone in her family know the “rules” about Thanksgiving? And what will her teacher and classmates say when they find out she didn’t have turkey?
Jama's Alphabet Soup 